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westerman's  cavalry  charge  into  the  streets  of  dol. 


NO    SURRENDERI 

A  TALE  OF 

Cl^e  mtjting  in  JLa  f  enuee 


BY 

G.    A.    HENTY 

Author  of  "In  the  Reign  of  Terror,"  "Through  Russian  Snows,* 
"  The  Bravest  of  the  Brave,"  etc. 


WITH  EIGHT  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  STANLEY  L.  lYOOD 


NEW    YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 

1914 


Req..  of  Eduo.  l»3.ti» 


Copyright,  1899 
By  Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 


GIFT 


PREFACE 

IN  the  world's  history  there  is  no  more  striking  example  of 
heroic  bravery  and  firmness  than  that  afforded  by  the 
people  of  the  province  of  Poitou,  and  more  especially  of 
that  portion  of  it  known  as  La  Vendee,  in  the  defence  of 
their  religion  and  their  rights  as  free  men.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  struggle  they  were  almost  unarmed,  and 
the  subsequent  battles  were  fought  by  the  aid  of  muskets 
and  cannon  wrested  from  the  enemy.  With  the  exception 
of  its  forests,  La  Vendue  offered  no  natural  advantages  for 
defence.  It  had  no  mountains  such  as  those  which  enabled 
the  Swiss  to  maintain  their  independence,  no  rivers  which 
would  bar  the  advance  of  an  enemy,  and  although  the 
woods  and  thickets  of  the  Bocage,  as  it  was  called,  favoured 
the  action  of  the  irregular  troops,  these  do  not  seem  to  have 
been  utilized  as  they  might  have  been,  the  principal  engage- 
ments of  the  war  being  fought  on  open  ground.  For  eigh- 
teen months  the  peasants  of  La  Vendee,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  they  had  no  idea  of  submitting  either  to  drill  or  dis- 
cipline, repulsed  the  efforts  of  forces  commanded  by  the  best 
generals  France  could  furnish,  and  which  grew  after  every 
defeat  until  at  length  armies  numbering  in  all  over  two 
hundred  thousand  men  were  collected  to  crush  La  Vendue. 
The  losses  on  both  sides  were  enormous.     La  Vendee  was 


VI  PREFACE 

almost  depopulated,  and  the  Republicans  paid  dearly  indeed 
for  their  triumph,  no  fewer  than  one  hundred  thousand  men 
having  fallen  on  their  side.  La  Vendee  was  crushed,  but 
never  surrendered.  Had  the  British  government  been  prop- 
erly informed  by  its  agents  of  the  desperate  nature  of  the 
struggle  that  was  going  on,  they  might,  by  throwing  twenty 
thousand  troops  with  supplies  of  stores  and  money  into  La 
Vendee,  have  changed  the  whole  course  of  events,  have 
crushed  the  Republic,  given  France  a  monarch,  and  thus 
spared  Europe  over  twenty  years  of  devastating  warfare,  the 
expenditure  of  enormous  sums  of  money,  and  the  loss  o/ 

millions  of  lives. 

G.  A.  HENTY 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  Pagi 

I.   A  French  Lugger I 

II.   The  Beginning  of  Troubles i8 

III.  The  First  Successes 38 

IV.  Cathelineau's  Scouts 56 

V.    Checking  the  Enemy 75 

VI.   The  Assault  of  Chemill6 96 

VII.    A  Short  Rest 114 

VIII.   The  Capture  of  Saumur 133 

IX.    Bad  News 152 

X.    Preparations  for  a  Rescue 172 

XI.    The  Attack  on  Nantes 192 

XII.    A  Series  of  Victories 211 

XIII.  Across  the  Loire 228 

XIV.  Le  Mans 246 

XV.    In  Disguise 264 

XVI.    A  Friend  at  Last 283 

XVII.    A  Grave  Risk 301 

XVin.   Home 320 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Pack 
Westermann*s  Cavalry  Charge  into  the  Streets  of 

DoL Frontispitce 

"Follow  Me!"  he  shouted.    "Make  for  the  Gun  I"     .      34 

"At  the  First  Volley  the  Colonel  of  the  Dragoons 

AND   MANY   OF   HIS   MeN    FELL  " 50 

"A  Scattered  Fire  broke  out  from  the  Defenders"  8o 
"Leigh  gave  the  Word,  and  leaping  up  they  threw 

Themselves  on  the  Traitor" 94 

"He  was  the  Bearer  of  Terrible  News" 152 

"Jean  seized  one  of  Them  by  the  Throat" 206 

"  For  Two  or  Three  Minutes  Husband  and  Wife  stood 

together" 334 


NO   SURRENDER 


CHAPTER  I 


A    FRENCH    LUGGER 

iJOME  half  a  mile  back  from  the  sea,  near  the  point 
where  the  low  line  of  sandy  hill  is  broken  by  the 
entrance  into  Poole  Harbour,  stood,  in  1791, 
Netherstock,  which  with  a  small  estate  around 
was  the  property  of  Squire  Stansfield.  The  view  was  an 
extensive  one  when  the  weather  was  clear.  Away  to  the 
left  lay  the  pine  forests  of  Bournemouth  and  Christ  Church, 
and  still  farther  seaward  the  cliffs  of  the  Isle  of  Wight  from 
Totland  Bay  as  far  as  St.  Catherine  Point.  Close  at  hand 
to  the  south  was  Studland  Bay,  bounded  by  Handfast  Point 
Looking  towards  the  right  was  a  great  sheet  of  shallow 
water,  for  the  most  part  dry  at  low  tide,  known  as  Poole 
and  Wareham  Harbours,  with  its  numerous  creeks  and  bays. 
Netherstock  was  an  old  house  with  many  nooks  and 
corners.  The  squire  was  a  justice  of  the  peace,  but  unless 
there  was  some  special  business  on,  he  seldom  took  his 
place  on  the  bench.  He  was  a  jovial  man  who  took  life 
easily.  He  was  popular  among  his  neighbours,  especially 
among    the    poorer  classes,   for  whom   he   had  always  a 


2  NO  SURRENDER 

pleasant  word  as  he  rode  along,  and  who  in  case  of  illness 
knew  that  they  could  always  be  sure  of  a  supply  of  soup  or 
a  gill  of  brandy  at  Netherstock.  Among  those  of  his  own 
class  it  was  often  a  matter  of  wonder  how  James  Stansfield 
made  both  ends  meet.  The  family  had  for  two  or  three 
generations  been  of  a  similar  temperament  to  that  of  the 
present  holder,  men  who  spent  their  money  freely,  and  were 
sure  to  be  present  whenever  there  was  a  horse-race,  or  a 
main  of  cocks  to  be  fought,  or  a  prize-fight  to  come  off, 
within  a  day's  ride  of  Netherstock.  Gradually  farm  after 
farm  had  been  parted  with,  and  the  estate  now  was  smaller 
by  half  than  it  had  been  at  the  beginning  of  the  century. 

James  Stansfield  had,  however,  done  nothing  further  to 
diminish  it.  He  had  a  large  family,  but  they  could  hardly 
be  said  to  be  an  expensive  one,  seeing  that  little  was  spent 
upon  the  fashion  of  their  clothes  ;  and  beyond  the  fact  that 
the  curate  in  charge  of  the  little  church  in .  the  village  of 
Netherstock  came  over  every  morning  for  two  or  three  hours 
to  give  the  boys  and  girl:  the  elements  of  education,  they 
went  very  much  their  own  way.  Mrs.  Stansfield  had  died 
five  years  before  this.  Polly,  the  eldest  girl,  aged  twenty, 
acted  as  mistress  of  the  house.  Next  to  her,  at  intervals  of 
little  more  than  a  year,  came  Ralph  and  John,  two  strongly- 
built  young  fellows,  both  fearless  riders  and  good  at  all  rustic 
games.  What  supervision  the  farm  work  got  was  given  by 
them. 

Patsey,  the  second  girl,  was  generally  admitted  to  be  the 
flower  of  the  Stansfields.  She  was  bright,  pretty,  and 
good-tempered.  She  was  in  charge  of  the  dairy,  and  the 
Netherstock  butter  was  famous  through  the  country 
round,  and  always  fetched  top  prices  at  the  market.  The 
youngest  of  the  family  was  Leigh,  who  was  now  fourteen* 
He  was  less  heavily  built  than    his    brothers,   but    their 


A   FRENCH   LUGGER  8 

tutor  declared  that  he  was  the  quickest  and  most  intelli- 
gent of  his  pupils,  and  that  if  he  had  but  a  chance  he 
would  turn  out  a  fine  young  fellow.  The  boys  were  all 
fond  of  boating  and  sailing,  which  was  natural  enough,  as 
the  sea  washed  two  sides  of  the  estate.  They  had  two 
boats.  One  of  these  lay  hauled  up  on  the  sands,  a  mile  to 
the  east  of  the  entrance  to  the  harbour.  She  was  a  good 
sea  boat,  and  when  work  was  slack  about  the  place,  which 
indeed  was  the  normal  state  of  things,  they  would  often 
sail  to  Weymouth  to  the  west,  or  eastward  to  Yarmouth 
or  Lymington,  sometimes  even  to  Portsmouth.  The  other 
boat,  which  was  also  large,  but  of  very  shallow  draught  of 
water,  lay  inside  the  entrance  to  the  harbour,  and  in  her 
they  could  go  either  north  or  south  of  Brownsea  Island, 
and  shoot  or  fish  in  the  many  inlets  and  bays.  There  were 
few  who  knew  every  foot  of  the  great  sheet  of  water  as  they 
did,  and  they  could  tell  the  precise  time  of  the  tide  at  which 
the  channels  were  deep  enough  for  boats  drawing  from  two 
to  three  feet  of  water. 

The  most  frequent  visitor  to  Netherstock  was  Lieutenant, 
or,  as  he  was  called  in  courtesy,  Captain  Whiffler,  the  officer 
in  command  of  the  coast-guard  station  between  Poole  and 
Christ  Church,  his  principal  station  being  opposite  Brownsea 
Island,  the  narrowest  point  of  the  entrance  to  the  harbour. 
He  was  a  somewhat  fussy  little  officer,  with  a  great  idea 
of  the  importance  of  his  duties,  mingled  with  a  regret  that 
these  duties  did  not  afford  him  full  scope  for  proving  his 
ability. 

"  Smuggling  has  almost  ceased  to  exist  along  here,**  he 
would  say.  "  I  do  not  say  that  across  the  harbour  some- 
thing that  way  may  not  still  be  done,  for  the  facilities  there 
are  very  much  greater  than  they  are  on  this  side.  Still,  my 
colleague  there  can  have  but  little  trouble,  for  I  keep  a 


4  NO  SURRENDER 

sharp  look-out  that  no  boat  enters  by  the  passage  south  of 
the  island  without  being  searched.  Of  course  one  hears  all 
sorts  of  absurd  reports  about  cargoes  being  run,  but  we 
know  better,  and  I  believe  they  are  only  set  on  foot  to  put 
our  officers  from  Swanage  westward,  and  beyond  Christ 
Church  down  to  Hurst  Castle,  off  their  guard." 

"  No  doubt,  captain ;  no  doubt,"  James  Stansfield  would 
agree.  "  Still,  I  fancy  that  although  times  are  not  what 
they  were,  it  is  still  possible  to  buy  a  keg  of  brandy 
occasionally  or  a  few  yards  of  silk  or  lace  that  have  never 
paid  duty." 

•'  Yes,  no  doubt  occasionally  some  small  craft  manages  to 
run  a  few  kegs  or  bales,  and  unfortunately  the  gentry,  in- 
stead of  aiding  his  majesty's  representatives,  keep  the  thing 
alive  by  purchasing  spirits  and  so  on  from  those  who  have 
been  concerned  in  their  landing." 

"Well,  you  know.  Captain  WhifHer,  human  nature  is 
pretty  strong.  If  a  pedlar  comes  along  here  with  ribbons 
and  fal-lals,  and  offers  them  to  the  girls  at  half  the  price  at 
which  they  could  buy  them  down  at  Poole,  you  can  hardly 
expect  them  to  take  lofty  ground  and  charge  the  man  with 
having  smuggled  them." 

"  I  do  not  think  the  young  ladies  are  offenders  that  way," 
the  officer  said,  "  for  I  have  never  yet  seen  them  in  foreign 
gear  of  any  sort.  I  should,  if  you  will  allow  me  to  say  so, 
be  more  inclined,  were  you  not  a  justice  of  the  peace,  to 
suspect  you  of  having  dealings  with  these  men,  for  your 
brandy  is  generally  of  the  best." 

"  I  don't  set  up  to  be  better  than  my  neighbours,  captain," 
the  squire  said  with  a  laugh,  "and  if  the  chance  comes  my 
way  I  will  not  say  that  I  should  refuse  to  buy  a  good  article 
at  the  price  I  should  pay  for  a  bad  one  in  the  town/' 

"Your  tobacco  is  good  too,  squire." 


A    FRENCH    LUGGER  5 

"Yes,  I  am  particular  about  my  tobacco,  and  I  must 
say  that  I  think  government  lays  too  high  a  duty  on  it.  If 
I  had  the  making  of  the  laws,  I  would  put  a  high  duty  on 
bad  tobacco,  and  a  low  duty  on  a  good  article ;  that  would 
encourage  the  importation  of  good  wholesome  stuff.  I  sup- 
pose you  have  heard  no  rumours  of  any  suspicious-looking 
craft  being  heard  of  off  the  coast?" 

"No,  I  think  that  they  carry  on  their  business  a  good 
deal  farther  to  the  west  now ;  my  post  is  becoming  quite  a 
sinecure.  The  Henriette  came  into  Poole  this  morning,  but 
we  never  trouble  about  her.  She  is  a  fair  trader,  and  is 
well  known  at  every  port  between  Portsmouth  and  Ply- 
mouth as  such.  She  always  comes  in  at  daylight,  and  lays 
her  foresail  a-back  till  we  board  her,  and  send  a  couple  of 
men  with  her  into  Poole  or  Wareham.  Her  cargo  is  always 
consigned  to  well-known  merchants  at  all  the  ports  she 
enters,  and  consists  of  wines  for  the  most  part,  though  she 
does  occasionally  bring  in  brandy.  He  is  a  fine  young 
fellow,  the  skipper,  Jean  Martin.  I  believe  his  father  is 
a  large  wine  merchant  at  Nantes.  I  suppose  you  know 
him,   squire?" 

"  Yes,  I  have  met  him  several  times  down  in  the  town, 
and  indeed  have  bought  many  a  barrel  of  wine  of  him. 
He  has  been  up  here  more  than  once,  for  I  have  told  him 
whenever  he  has  anything  particularly  good  either  in  wine 
or  spirits  to  let  me  know.  He  talks  a  little  English,  and 
my  girls  like  to  have  a  chat  with  him  about  what  is  going 
on  on  his  side  of  the  water.  He  offered  the  other  day 
to  give  Leigh  a  trip  across  to  Nantes  if  I  was  willing. 
Things  seem  to  be  going  on  very  badly  in  Paris  by  what  he 
says,  but  he  does  not  anticipate  any  troubles  in  the  west  of 
France,  where  there  seems  to  be  none  of  that  ill-feeling 
between  the  different  classes  that  there  is  in  other  parts." 


6  NO    SURRENDER 

The  departure  of  Captain  Whiffler  was  always  followed  by 
a  broad  smile  on  the  faces  of  the  elder  boys,  breaking  oc- 
casionally into  a  hearty  laugh,  in  which  the  squire  joined. 

**I  call  him  an  insufferable  ass,"  Ralph  said  on  this 
particular  evening.  "  It  would  be  difficult,  as  father  says, 
to  find  an  officer  who  is,  as  far  as  we  are  concerned,  so 
admirably  suited  for  his  position." 

"That  is  so,  Ralph;  there  is  scarcely  a  man,  woman,  or 
child  in  this  part  of  Dorsetshire  who  does  not  know  that 
there  are  more  goods  run  on  that  piece  of  water  over  there 
than  on  the  whole  south  coast  of  England.  I  sincerely 
trust  that  nothing  will  ever  bring  about  his  recall.  Per- 
sonally, I  would  pay  two  or  three  hundred  a  year  out  of  my 
own  pocket  rather  than  lose  him.  There  is  no  such  place 
anywhere  for  the  work ;  why,  there  are  some  fourteen  or 
fifteen  inlets  where  goods  can  be  landed  at  high  water,  and 
once  past  the  island,  I  don't  care  how  sharp  the  revenue 
men  may  be,  the  betting  is  fifty  to  one  against  their  being  at 
the  right  spot  at  the  right  time. 

"  If  the  passage  between  our  point  and  the  island  were 
but  a  bit  wider  it  would  be  perfect,  but  unfortunately  it  is 
so  narrow  that  it  is  only  on  the  very  darkest  night  one 
can  hope  to  get  through  unnoticed.  However,  we  can 
do  very  well  with  the  southern  channel,  and,  after  all,  it  is 
safer.  We  can  get  any  number  of  boats,  and  the  Henriette 
has  only  to  anchor  half  a  mile  outside  the  entrance.  We 
know  when  she  is  coming,  and  have  but  to  show  a  light 
directly  she  makes  her  signal  and  the  boats  will  put  out 
from  Radhorn  passage  and  Hamworth,  while  messengers 
start  for  Bushaw  and  Scopland  and  Creach  and  a  dozen 
farmhouses,  and  the  carts  are  sure  to  be  at  the  spot 
where  they  had  been  warned  to  assemble  by  the  time  the 
boats  come  along  with  the  kegs,  and  everything  is  miles 


A   FRENCH   LUGGER  7 

away  in  hiding  before  morning.  If  it  is  a  dark  night  the 
Henriette  makes  off  again  and  comes  boldly  in  the  next 
afternoon.  If  one  of  the  revenue  boats,  either  from  here  or 
Studland,  happens  to  come  across  her  before  she  gets  up 
anchor,  there  she  is  —  the  crew  are  all  asleep  with  the 
exception  of  a  man  on  watch  ;  she  is  simply  waiting  to  come 
in  when  there  is  light  enough  to  enable  her  to  make  her 
way  up  the  passage." 

James  Stansfield  was  in  fact  the  organizer  of  the 
smuggling  business  carried  on  at  Poole  and  the  adjacent 
harbours.  There  was  not  a  farmhouse  among  the  hills  to 
the  south  of  the  great  sheet  of  water  with  which  he  was 
not  in  communication.  Winter  was  the  season  at  which 
the  trade  was  most  busy,  for  the  short  summer  nights 
were  altogether  unsuited  for  the  work ;  and  when  the  cold 
weather  drove  the  wild-fowl  in  for  shelter  there  was  splendid 
shooting,  and  Ralph  and  John  were  able  to  combine  amuse- 
ment with  business  and  to  keep  the  larder  well  stocked. 
The  night  signals  were  made  from  a  cleft  in  the  sand-hills 
half  a  mile  from  the  house,  the  light  being  so  arranged  that 
it  could  not  be  seen  from  Brownsea  Island,  though  visible 
to  those  on  the  south  side  from  Studland  right  away  over 
the  hills  to  Corfe  Castle,  even  to  Wareham. 

It  was  shown  but  for  half  a  minute,  just  as  the  bells  of 
Poole  Church  struck  nine.  At  that  hour,  when  the  lugger 
was  expected,  there  was  a  look-out  at  the  door  of  every 
farmhouse,  and  the  moment  the  light  was  seen,  preparations 
were  made  for  the  landing  at  the  spot  of  which  notice  had 
been  given  by  one  or  other  of  the  boys  on  the  previous 
day.  Then  from  quiet  little  inlets  the  boats  would  put  off 
noiselessly  directly  there  was  water  to  float  them,  for  it  was 
only  at  high  tides  that  the  shallows  were  covered.  They 
would  gather  in  the  channel  south  of  Brownsea,  where  the 


8  NO   SURRENDER 

boys  and  often  their  father  would  be  in  their  boats  in 
readiness,  until  a  momentary  glimmer  of  a  light,  so  placed  on 
board  the  lugger  that  it  could  only  be  seen  from  the  spot 
where  they  were  awaiting  it,  showed  the  position  of  the 
craft  and  their  readiness  to  discharge  cargo. 

It  was  exciting  work  and  profitable,  and  so  well  was  it 
managed  that,  although  it  had  been  carried  on  for  some 
years,  no  suspicion  had  ever  entered  the  minds  of  any  of 
the  revenue  officers.  Sometimes  many  weeks  would  elapse 
between  the  visits  of  the  lugger,  for  she  was  obliged  to 
make  her  appearance  frequently  at  other  ports,  to  maintain 
her  character  as  a  trader,  and  was  as  such  well  known  all 
along  the  coast.  It  was  only  a  year  since  the  Henriette  had 
taken  the  place  of  another  lugger  that  had  previously 
carried  on  the  work,  but  had  been  wrecked  on  the  French 
coast.  She  had  been  the  property  of  the  same  owner,  or 
rather  of  the  same  firm,  for  Jean  Martin,  who  had  been 
first  mate  on  board  the  other  craft,  had  invested  some  of 
his  own  money  in  the  Henriette  and  assumed  the  command. 
It  was  noticed  at  Poole  that  the  Henriette  used  that  port 
more  frequently  than  her  predecessor  had  done,  and  indeed 
she  not  infrequently  came  in  in  the  daytime  with  her  hold 
as  full  as  when  she  had  left  Nantes.  It  was  on  one  of  these 
occasions  that  Jean  Martin  on  coming  up  to  Netherstock 
had  a  long  talk  with  the  squire. 

"So  you  want  my  daughter  Patsey?"  the  latter  said 
when  his  visitor  had  told  his  story.  "  Well,  it  has  certainly 
never  entered  my  mind  that  any  of  my  girls  should  marry 
a  Frenchman.  I  don't  say  that  I  have  not  heard  my  boys 
making  a  sly  joke  more  than  once  when  the  Henriette  was 
seen  coming  in,  and  I  have  seen  the  colour  flying  up  into  the 
girl's  face,  but  I  only  looked  at  it  as  boys'  nonsense.  Still, 
I  don't  say  that  I  am  averse  to  your  suit.     We  may  be  said 


A   FRENCH   LUGGER  9. 

to  be  partners  in  this  trade  of  yours,  and  we  both  owe  each 
other  a  good  deal.  During  the  last  eight  years  you  must 
have  run  something  like  forty  cargoes  and  never  lost  a  keg 
or  a  bale,  and  I  doubt  if  as  much  could  be  said  for  any 
other  craft  in  the  trade.  Still,  one  can't  calculate  on 
always  being  lucky.  I  don't  think  anyone  would  turn 
traitor  when  the  whole  countryside  is  interested  in  the 
matter,  and  I  would  n't  give  much  for  the  life  of  anyone  who 
whispered  as  much  as  a  word  to  the  revenue  people.  Still, 
accidents  will  take  place  sometimes.  Your  father  must 
have  done  well  with  the  trade,  and  so  have  I.  At  any  rate 
I  will  leave  it  in  Patsey's  hands.  I  have  enough  of  them 
and  to  spare.  And,  of  course,  you  will  be  able  to  bring  her 
over  sometimes  to  pay  us  a  visit  here.  I  think,  too,  that 
your  offer  of  taking  Leigh  over  with  you  helps  to  decide  me 
in  your  favour.  They  are  all  growing  up,  and  if  anything 
were  to  put  a  stop  to  our  business  this  place  would  not 
keep  them  all ;  and  it  would  be  a  great  thing  for  Patsey  to 
have  her  brother  as  a  companion  when  you  are  away.  The 
boy  would  learn  French,  and  in  your  father's  business 
would  get  such  a  knowledge  of  the  trade  with  Nantes  as 
should  serve  him  in  good  stead.  At  any  rate  he  will  learn 
things  that  are  a  good  deal  more  useful  to  him  than  those 
he  gets  from  the  curate.  Well,  you  know  you  will  find  her 
in  the  dairy  as  usual ;  you  had  better  go  and  see  what  she 
says  to  it." 

It  is  probable  that  Jean  Martin  had  already  a  shrewd 
idea  of  what  Patsey's  answer  would  be,  and  he  presently 
returned  to  her  father  radiant.  Patsey,  indeed,  had  given 
her  heart  to  the  cheery  young  sailor,  and  although  it 
seemed  to  her  a  terrible  thing  that  she  should  go  to 
settle  in  France,  she  had  the  less  objection  to  it 
inasmuch    as    the    fear    that    the    smuggling    would    be 


10  NO   SURRENDER 

sooner  or  later  discovered,  and  that  ruin  might  fall  upon 
Netherstock,  was  ever  present  in  her  mind  and  in  that  of 
her  elder  sister.  To  her  brothers  engaged  in  the  perilous 
business,  it  was  regarded  as  a  pleasant  excitement,  without 
which  their  lives  would  be  intolerably  dull.  It  was  not 
that  she  or  they  regarded  the  matter  in  the  light  of  a  crime, 
for  almost  everyone  on  that  part  of  the  coast  looked 
upon  smuggling  as  a  game  in  which  the  wits  of  those  con- 
cerned in  it  were  pitted  against  those  of  the  revenue  men. 

It  brought  profit  to  all  concerned,  and  although  many 
of  the  gentry  found  it  convenient  to  express  indignation 
at  the  damage  done  to  the  king's  revenue  by  smuggling, 
there  were  none  of  them  who  thought  it  necessary  to 
mention  to  the  coast-guard  when  by  some  accident  a  keg 
of  brandy  or  a  parcel  with  a  few  pounds  of  prime  tobacco 
was  found  in  one  of  the  outhouses.  Patsey  had  suffered 
more  than  her  sister,  being  of  a  more  lively  imagination, 
and  being  filled  with  alarm  and  anxiety  whenever  she 
knew  that  her  father  and  the  boys  were  away  at  night. 
Then,  too,  she  was  very  fond  of  Leigh,  and  had  built  many 
castles  in  the  air  as  to  his  future,  and  the  thought  that 
not  only  would  he  be  with  her,  but  would  be  in  the  way 
of  making  his  road  to  fortune,  was  very  pleasant  to  her. 
She  knew  that  if  he  remained  at  Netherstock  he  would 
grow  up  like  his  brothers;  his  father  might,  from  time 
to  time,  talk  of  putting  him  into  some  business,  but  she 
understood  his  ways,  and  was  certain  that  nothing  would 
come  of  it. 

Martin  had  before  expressed  to  her  his  doubt  as  to 
whether  her  father  would  consent  to  her  going  away  with 
him,  but  she  had  no  fear  on  the  subject.  In  his  quiet, 
easy-going  way  he  was  fond  of  his  children,  and  would 
scarcely  put  himself  out  to  oppose  vehemently  anything  on 


A    FRENCH   LUGGER  11 

which  they  had  set  their  hearts.  He  had,  too,  more  than 
once  said  that  he  wished  some  of  them  could  be  settled 
elsewhere,  for  a  time  of  trouble  might  come,  and  it  would 
be  well  to  have  other  homes  where  some  of  them  could 
be  received. 

"  Patsey  has  consented,'^  Jean  Martin  said  joyously  as 
he  rejoined  the  squire. 

"  Well,  that  is  all  right.  I  think  myself  that  it  is  for  the 
best.  Of  course  it  must  be  understood  that  in  the  matter 
of  religion  she  is  not  to  be  forced  or  urged  in  any  sort  of 
way,  but  is  to  be  allowed  to  follow  the  religion  in  which 
she  has  been  brought  up." 

"I  would  in  no  way  press  her,  sir.  We  have  Protes- 
tants in  France  just  as  there  are  Catholics  here,  though 
I  must  admit  that  there  are  not  many  of  them  in  La 
Vendue.  Still,  the  days  when  people  quarrelled  about 
religion  are  long  since  past,  and  certainly  at  Nantes  there 
is  a  Protestant  congregation,  though  away  in  the  country 
they  would  be  difficult  to  find.  However,  I  promise  you 
solemnly  that  I  will  in  no  way  try  to  influence  her 
mind  nor  that  of  the  boy ;  he  will  still,  of  course,  look 
upon  England  as  his  home,  and  I  should  even  oppose  any 
attempt  being  made  to  induce  him  to  join  our  church. 
You  have  plenty  of  Frenchmen  in  this  country,  and  no 
question  as  to  their  religion  arises.  It  will  be  just  the  same 
with  us." 

Six  weeks  later  the  Henriette  returned.  In  her  came 
Monsieur  Martin,  whose  presence  as  a  witness  of  the  cere- 
mony was  considered  advisable,  if  not  absolutely  necessary. 
He  had,  too,  various  documents  to  sign  in  presence  of  the 
French  consul  at  Southampton  giving  his  formal  consent. 
The  marriage  was  solemnized  there  at  a  small  Catholic 
chapel,  and  it  was  repeated  at  the  parish  church  at  Poole, 


12  NO   SURRENDER 

and  the  next  day  the  party  sailed  for  Nantes.  It  was  two 
months  before  the  lugger  again  came  in  to  Poole.  When 
it  returned  it  took  with  it  the  squire  and  Polly,  to  whom 
Monsieur  Martin  had  given  a  warm  invitation  to  come 
over  to  see  Patsey  in  her  new  home.  They  found  her 
well  and  happy.  Monsieur  Martin's  house  was  in  the 
suburbs  of  Nantes.  It  had  a  large  garden,  at  the  end  of 
which,  facing  another  street,  stood  a  pretty  little  house 
that  had  been  generally  used  either  as  the  abode  of  aged 
mothers  or  unmarried  sisters  of  the  family,  or  for  an  eldest 
son  to  take  his  wife  to,  but  which  had  now  been  handed 
over  to  Jean  and  his  wife. 

This  was  very  pleasant  for  Patsey,  as  it  united  the 
privacy  of  a  separate  abode  with  the  cheerfulness  of  the 
family  home.  She  had  her  own  servant,  whose  excellent 
cooking,  and,  above  all,  whose  scrupulous  cleanliness  and 
tidiness,  astonished  her  after  the  rough  meals  and  haphazard 
arrangements  at  Netherstock.  Whenever  she  felt  dull 
during  Jean's  absences,  she  could  run  across  the  garden  for 
a  talk  with  his  mother  and  sister;  at  meals  and  in  the 
evening  she  had  Leigh,  who  spent  most  of  his  time  at  the 
cellars  or  in  the  counting-house  of  Monsieur  Martin,  learn- 
ing for  the  first  time  habits  of  business,  and  applying 
himself  eagerly  to  acquiring  the  language.  The  squire  was 
put  up  at  Monsieur  Martin's,  and  Polly  slept  in  the  one  spare 
room  at  her  sister's,  all  the  party  from  the  pavilion  going 
over  to  the  house  to  the  mid-day  meal  and  supper. 

The  squire  and  Polly  were  much  pleased  with  their  visit. 
It  was  evident  that  Patsey  had  become  a  prime  favourite 
with  her  husband's  family.  Jean's  sister  Louise  was 
assiduous  in  teaching  her  French,  and  she  had  already 
begun  to  make  some  progress.  Louise  and  her  mother 
were   constantly  running   across   to   the   little   pavilion   on 


A   FRENCH   LUGGER  13 

some  errand  or  other,  and  Patsey  spent  as  much  of  her 
time  with  them  as  she  did  in  her  own  house.  Jean's 
absences  seldom  exceeded  ten  days,  and  he  generally  spent 
a  week  at  home  before  sailing  again.  He  had  driven  her 
over  to  stay  for  three  or  four  days  at  a  small  estate  of  his 
own  some  forty  miles  to  the  south-east  of  Nantes,  in  the 
heart  of  what  was  called  the  Bocage  —  a  wild  country,  with 
thick  woods,  narrow  lanes,  high  hedges,  and  scattered 
villages  and  farms,  much  more  English  in  appearance  than 
the  country  round  Nantes.  The  estate  had  come  to  him 
from  an  aunt.  Everything  here  was  very  interesting  to 
Patsey;  the  costumes  of  the  women  and  children,  the 
instruments  of  husbandry,  the  air  of  freedom  and  inde- 
pendence of  the  people,  and  the  absence  of  all  ceremony, 
interested  and  pleased  her.  She  did  not  understand  a 
single  word  of  the  patois  spoken  to  her  by  the  peasants, 
and  which  even  Jean  had  some  difficulty  in  following, 
although  he  had  spent  a  good  deal  of  his  time  at  the  little 
chateau  during  the  lifetime  of  his  aunt. 

"Should  you  like  to  live  here  when  not  at  sea,  Jean?" 
asked  Patsey. 

"  Yes,  I  would  rather  live  here  than  at  Nantes.  Next  to 
a  life  at  sea  I  should  like  one  quite  in  the  country.  There 
is  plenty  to  do  here ;  there  is  the  work  on  the  place  to  look 
after,  there  is  shooting,  there  is  visiting,  and  visiting  here 
means  something  hearty,  and  not  like  the  formal  work  in 
the  town.  Here  no  one  troubles  his  head  over  politics. 
They  may  quarrel  as  they  like  in  Paris,  but  it  does  not 
concern  La  Vendee.  Here  the  peasants  love  their  masters, 
and  the  masters  do  all  in  their  power  for  the  comfort  and 
happiness  of  the  peasants.  It  is  not  as  in  many  other 
parts  of  France,  where  the  peasants  hate  the  nobles,  and 
the   nobles  regard  the   peasants  as   dirt  under  their  feet. 


14  NO    SURRENDER 

Here  it  is  more  like  what  I  believe  it  was  in  England  when 
you  had  your  troubles,  and  the  tenants  followed  their 
lords  to  battle.  At  any  rate  life  here  would  be  very 
preferable  to  being  in  business  with  my  father  in  Nantes. 
I  should  never  have  settled  down  to  that ;  and  as  my  elder 
brother  seems  specially  made  for  that  sort  of  life,  fortu- 
nately I  was  able  to  go  my  own  way,  to  take  to  the  sea  in 
the  lugger  and  become  the  carrier  of  the  firm,  while  taking 
my  share  in  the  general  profits." 

"  How  is  it  that  your  brother  does  not  live  at  home  ?  It 
would  seem  natural  that  he  should  have  had  the  pavilion 
when  he  married." 

"  He  likes  going  his  own  way,"  Jean  said  shortly.  "  As 
far  as  business  matters  go  he  and  my  father  are  as  one, 
but  in  other  matters  they  differ  widely.  Jacques  is  always 
talking  of  reforms  and  changes,  while  my  father  is  quite 
content  with  things  as  they  are.  Jacques  has  his  own  circle 
of  friends,  and  would  Hke  to  go  to  Paris  as  a  deputy  and  to 
mix  himself  up  in  affairs.  Though  none  of  us  cared  for  the 
lady  that  he  chose  as  his  wife,  she  had  money,  and  there 
was  nothing  to  say  against  her  personally.  None  of  us  ever 
took  to  her,  and  there  was  a  general  feeling  of  relief  when 
it  was  known  that  Jacques  had  taken  a  house  in  the 
business  quarter.  He  looks  after  the  carrying  business.  Of 
course  my  lugger  does  but  a  very  small  proportion  of  it. 
We  send  up  large  quantities  of  brandy  to  Tours,  Orleans, 
and  other  towns  on  the  Loire,  and  have  dealings  with 
Brittany  and  Normandy  by  sea,  and  with  the  Gironde.  He 
looks  after  that  part  of  the  business ;  my  father  does  the 
buying  and  directs  the  counting-house.  Though  my  art 
is  a  very  inferior  one,  I  have  no  reason  to  complain  of  my 
share  of  the  profits." 

The  first  eighteen  months  of  Patsey's  married  life  passed 


A   FRENCH   LUGGER  15 

quietly  and  happily.  She  could  now  speak  French  fluently, 
and  having  made  several  stays  at  the  country  chateau  could 
make  herself  understood  in  the  patois.  Leigh  spoke  French 
as  well  as  English.  Fortunately  he  had  picked  up  a  little 
before  leaving  home,  partly  from  his  tutor,  partly  from 
endeavouring  to  talk  with  French  fishermen  and  sailors  who 
came  into  Poole.  He  frequently  made  trips  in  the  Hen- 
riette^  sometimes  to  Havre  and  Rouen,  at  others  to  Bordeaux. 
He  had  grown  much,  and  was  now  a  very  strong  active 
lad.  He  got  on  very  well  with  Monsieur  Martin,  but  kept 
as  much  apart  as  he  could  from  his  eldest  son,  for  whom 
he  felt  a  deep  personal  dislike,  and  who  had  always  dis- 
approved of  Jean's  marriage  to  an  Englishwoman.  Jacques 
Martin  was  the  strongest  contrast  to  his  brother.  He  was 
methodical  and  sententious,  expressed  his  opinion  on  all 
subjects  with  the  air  of  a  man  whose  judgment  was  infal- 
lible, and  was  an  ardent  disciple  of  Voltaire  and  Rousseau. 
It  was  very  seldom  that  he  entered  his  father's  house,  where 
his  opinions  on  religious  subjects  shocked  and  horrified  his 
mother  and  sister.  He  lived  with  an  entirely  different 
set,  and  spent  most  of  his  time  at  the  clubs,  which,'  in  imita- 
tion of  those  of  Paris,  had  sprung  up  all  over  the  country. 

"  What  is  all  the  excitement  about,  Jean  ? "  Leigh  asked 
his  brother-in-law  one  evening.  "  There  are  always  fellows 
standing  on  casks  or  bales  of  timber  along  the  wharf  shout- 
ing and  waving  their  arms  about,  and  sometimes  reading 
letters  or  printed  papers,  and  then  those  who  listen  to  them 
shout  and  throw  up  their  caps,  and  get  into  a  tremendous 
state  of  excitement." 

"They  are  telling  the  others  what  is  being  done  at  the 
Assembly." 

"  And  what  are  they  doing  there,  Jean  ?  " 

'*  They  are  turning  things  upside  down." 


16  NO  SURRENDER 

"And  is  that  good?" 

"  Well,  there  is  no  doubt  that  things  are  not  as  well  man- 
aged as  they  might  be,  and  that  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
distress  and  misery.  In  some  parts  of  France  the  tax- 
ation has  been  very  heavy,  and  the  extravagance  of  the 
court  has  excited  an  immense  deal  of  anger.  It  is  not  the 
fault  of  the  present  king,  who  is  a  quiet  fellow,  and  does 
not  care  for  show  or  pageants,  but  it  is  rather  the  fault  of 
the  kings  who  preceded  him,  especially  of  Louis  XIV., 
who  was  a  great  monarch,  no  doubt,  but  a  very  expensive 
one  to  his  subjects,  and  whose  wars  cost  an  enormous  sum. 
You  see,  it  is  not  in  France  as  it  is  with  you.  The  nobles 
here  have  great  power.  Their  tenants  and  serfs  —  for  they 
are  still  nothing  but  serfs  —  are  at  the  mercy  of  their  lords, 
who  may  flog  them  and  throw  them  into  prison  almost  at 
their  pleasure,  and  will  grind  the  last  sou  out  of  them 
that  they  may  cut  a  good  figure  at  court. 

"  In  this  part  of  France  things  are  more  as  they  are  in 
England.  The  nobles  and  seigneurs  are  hke  your  country 
gentlemen  ;  they  live  in  their  chateaux,  they  mix  with  their 
people  and  take  an  interest  in  them,  they  go  to  their  fetes, 
and  the  ladies  visit  the  sick,  and  in  all  respects  they  live 
as  do  your  country  squires ;  paying  a  visit  for  a  few  weeks 
each  year  to  Paris,  and  spending  the  rest  of  their  time  on 
their  estates.  But  it  is  not  from  the  country  that  the 
members  of  the  Assembly  who  are  the  most  urgent  for 
reforms  and  violent  in  their  speech  come,  but  from  the 
towns.  There  were  two  writers,  Voltaire  and  Rousseau, 
who  have  done  enormous  mischief.  Both  of  them  perceived 
that  the  state  of  things  was  wrong,  but  they  went  to  ex- 
tremes, made  fun  of  the  church,  and  attacked  institutions 
of  all  sorts.  Their  writings  are  read  by  everyone,  and  have 
shaken  people's  faith  in  God  and  in  all  things  as  they  are. 


A   FRENCH    LUGGER  17 

"  I  do  not  say  that  much  improvement  could  not  be  made, 
but  it  will  never  be  made  by  sudden  and  great  changes,  nor 
by  men  such  as  those  who  are  gradually  gaining  the  upper 
hand  in  the  Assembly.  The  people  ought  to  have  a  much 
stronger  voice  than  they  have  in  their  own  taxation.  They 
see  that  in  England  the  ministers  and  parliament  manage 
everything,  and  that  the  king  —  although  his  influence  goes 
for  a  good  deal,  and  he  can  change  his  ministers  as  often 
as  he  likes  —  must  yet  bow  to  the  voice  of  parliament.  I 
think  that  that  is  reasonable,  but  when  it  comes  to  a  parlia- 
ment composed  largely  of  mere  agitators  and  spouters,  I, 
for  my  part,  would  rather  be  ruled  by  a  king." 

"  But  what  is  it  that  these  people  want,  Jean  ?  " 

"I  do  not  think  they  know  in  the  least  themselves, 
beyond  the  fact  that  they  want  all  the  power;  that  they 
want  to  destroy  the  nobility,  overthrow  the  church,  and 
lay  hands  on  the  property  of  all  who  are  more  wealthy 
than  themselves.  Naturally  the  lowest  classes  of  the  towns, 
who  are  altogether  ignorant,  believe  that  by  supporting 
these  men,  and  by  pulling  down  all  above  them,  it  would 
no  longer  be  necessary  to  work.  They  want  to  divide  the 
estates  of  the  nobles,  take  a  share  of  the  wealth  of  the 
traders  and  of  the  better  class  of  all  sorts  ;  in  fact  they  would 
turn  everything  topsy-turvy,  render  the  poor  all-powerful, 
and  tread  all  that  is  good  and  noble  under  their  feet.  The 
consequence  is,  that  the  king  is  virtually  a  prisoner  in  the 
hands  of  the  mob  of  Paris,  the  nobles  and  better  classes  are 
leaving  the  country,  thousands  of  these  have  already  been 
massacred,  and  no  one  can  say  how  matters  will  end. 

"  Here  in  Nantes  there  is,  as  you  see,  a  feeling  of  excite- 
ment and  unrest,  and  though  as  yet  there  has  been  no 
violence,  no  one  could  venture  to  predict  what  may  take 
place   if  the  moderate  men  in  the  Assembly  are  outvoted 


18  NO   SURRENDER 

by  the  extremists,  and  all  power  falls  into  the  hands  of  the 
latter.  But  I  still  hope  that  common  sense  will  prevail  in  the 
long  run.  I  regard  the-  present  as  a  temporary  madness, 
and  trust  that  Prance  will  come  to  her  senses,  and  that  we 
shall  have  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  scoundrels,  who  are 
now  the  leaders  of  the  mob  of  Paris,  receive  the  punishment 
they  deserve.  However,  as  far  as  we  are  concerned,  I  have 
no  uneasiness,  for  if  troubles  break  out  at  Nantes  we  can 
retire  to  my  chateau  in  the  thickest  and  most  wooded  part 
of  La  Vendee,  where  there  is  no  fear  that  the  peasants  will 
ever  rise  against  their  masters." 


CHAPTER   n 

THE    BEGINNING  OF  TROUBLES 

"npHINGS  are  getting  more  and  more  serious,  Patsey," 
X  said  Jean  one  evening.  "  I  don't  know  what  will 
come  of  it ;  the  excitement  is  spreading  here,  and  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  there  will  be  very  serious  troubles  ere 
long.  The  greater  portion  of  the  people  here  are  with  the 
Assembly,  and  approve  of  all  these  decrees  against  the 
priests  and  the  persecution  of  the  better  classes.  You  know 
what  has  taken  place  in  Paris,  and  I  fear  that  it  will  be 
repeated  here.  We  are  split  up.  My  father,  dear  good 
man,  thinks  that  he  has  only  to  attend  to  his  business  and 
to  express  no  opinion  whatever  about  pubUc  affairs,  and 
that  the  storm  wull  pass  quietly  over  his  head.  My  brother 
has  thrown  himself  heart  and  soul  —  that  is  to  say,  as  far 
as  he  has  a  heart  to  throw  —  into  what  he  calls  the  cause 
of  the  people,  and  which  I   consider  to  be   the  cause  of 


THE   BEGINNING   OF   TROUBLES  19 

revolution,  of  confiscation,  of  irreligion,  and  abomination 
generally. 

"  I  am  told  that  my  name  has  freely  been  mentioned  in 
his  club  as  that  of  a  dangerous  man,  with  opinions  con- 
trary to  the  public  good.  I  hear,  too,  that  that  brother  of 
mine  was  there  at  the  time,  and  that  he  got  up  and  said 
that  in  a  case  like  this  his  voice  must  be  silent,  that  true 
patriots  place  their  country  before  all  things,  and  then 
affected  to  speak  mildly  in  my  favour,  but  at  the  same  time 
doing  me  as  much  harm  as  he  could.  I  believe  the  fellow 
is  capable  of  denouncing  his  own  father.  From  the  Bocage 
I  hear  that  the  whole  country  is  in  confusion.  The  people, 
of  course,  side  with  their  priests  ;  the  nobles  and  land-owners 
are  naturally  royalists,  and  are  furious  that  the  king  should 
be  held  in  what  is  practically  subjection  by  men  of  low 
degree,  and  who,  although  they  may  have  some  virtuous 
men  among  them,  have  also  sanguinary  scoundrels  who 
gradually  gain  in  power  and  will  soon  be  supreme. 

"They,  however,  can  do  nothing  at  present.  The  peasants 
know  nothing  about  the  king,  to  them  he  is  a  mere  name ; 
but  this  persecution  of  their  priests  angers  them  greatly; 
and  if,  as  is  said,  orders  have  been  given  to  raise  an  army, 
and  to  drag  men  away  from  their  homes  whether  they  like 
to  go  or  not,  you  may  be  sure  that  ere  long  there  will  be 
trouble  there.  Now  you  see,  dear,  I  am  a  sort  of  double 
character.  At  sea  I  am  Captain  Jean  Martin,  a  peaceful 
trader  with,  as  you  know,  but  litde  regard  for  the  revenue 
laws  of  your  country.  On  the  other  hand,  in  La  Vendue  I 
am  Monsieur  Jean  Martin,  a  landed  proprietor  and  on  friendly 
terms  with  all  the  nobles  and  gentry  in  my  neighbourhood. 
It  is  evident  that  I  cannot  continue  to  play  this  double 
part ;  already  great  numbers  of  arrests  have  been  made  here, 
and  the  prisons  are  half  full.     I  hear  that  a  commissioner 


20  NO   SURRENDER 

from  the  Assembly  is  expected  here  shortly,  to  try  these 
suspects,  as  they  are  called,  and  from  what  we  know  already 
we  may  be  sure  that  there  will  be  little  mercy  shown. 

"  They  are  almost  all  people  of  substance,  and  the  people, 
as  they  call  themselves,  are  on  principle  opposed  to  men  of 
substance.  Now,  if  I  remain  here  I  have  no  doubt  that  I 
shall  be  denounced  in  a  very  short  time,  and  to  be  de- 
nounced is  to  be  thrown  into  prison,  and  to  be  thrown  into 
prison  is  equivalent  to  being  murdered.  I  have  no  doubt, 
Patsey,  that  you  would  share  my  fate  ;  the  fact  that  you  are 
an  Englishwoman  was  among  the  accusations  brought  against 
me  in  the  club,  and  although,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  the 
majority  of  these  scoundrels  have  no  religion  whatever,  they 
venture  to  make  it  a  matter  of  complaint  that  you  are  a 
Protestant.  I  have  seen  this  coming  on  for  some  time,  and 
must  now  make  my  choice  ;  either  I  must  take  you  and  the 
child  over  to  England  and  leave  you  there  with  your  father 
until  these  troubles  are  over,  while  I  must  myself  go  down 
and  look  after  my  tenantry  and  bear  my  share  in  whatever 
comes,  or  you  must  go  down  there  with  me." 

"  Certainly  I  will  go  down  with  you,  Jean.  It  is  your 
home,  and  whatever  dangers  may  come  I  will  share  them 
with  you.  It  would  be  agony  to  be  in  England  and  to  know 
nothing  of  what  is  passing  here  and  what  danger  might  be 
threatening  you.  We  took  each  other  for  better  or  worse, 
Jean,  and  the  greater  danger  you  may  be  in,  the  more  it 
will  be  my  duty  to  be  by  your  side.  I  should  be  very  happy 
down  at  the  chateau,  more  happy  than  I  have  been  here 
with  you  for  some  time  past,  for  one  cannot  but  be  very 
anxious  when  one  sees  one's  friends  thrown  into  prison  and 
knows  that  you  are  opposed  to  all  these  things,  and  that  it 
may  be  your  turn  next.  Nothing  would  persuade  me  to 
leave  you." 


THE    BEGINNING   OF  TROUBLES  21 

"  Very  well,  wife,  so  be  it.  I  am  sure  that  there  at  least 
we  shall  be  safe.  It  is  only  in  the  towns  that  these  rascals 
are  dangerous,  and  in  a  country  like  ours  there  is  little  fear 
that  the  knaves  will  venture  to  interfere  when  they  see  that 
they  are  stirring  up  a  nest  of  hornets.  They  have  plenty  of 
work  to  satisfy  even  their  taste  for  confiscation  and  murder 
in  the  large  towns ;  there  is  an  army  gathering  on  the  frontier, 
and  they  will  have  their  hands  full  ere  long.  And  now 
about  Leigh.  My  brother  has  always  shown  a  dislike  for 
him,  and  as  it  is  certain  that  he  cannot  remain  here  he  must 
either  return  to  England  or  go  with  us." 

"  I  am  sure  that  he  would  choose  to  go  with  us,  Jean. 
You  say  yourself  that  he  talks  French  like  a  native  now,  and 
although  he  has  often  told  me  that  he  would  never  settle  in 
France  —  for  naturally  he  is  as  horrified  as  I  am  with  the 
doings  in  Paris  and  the  other  great  towns  —  still  I  am  sure 
that  he  would  choose  to  remain  with  us  now.  You  see  he 
is  strong  and  active,  and  has  made  so  many  trips  with  you, 
that  he  is  almost  a  sailor.  He  is  within  a  few  months  of 
sixteen,  and  of  late  he  has  several  times  said  to  me  that  he 
would  like  to  go  some  long  voyages  and  have  some  adven- 
tures before  settling  down  in  business  in  England  as  an 
agent  of  your  house." 

"  I  should  like  to  have  him  with  us,"  Jean  said  heartily. 
"  In  the  first  place,  he  is  a  lad  after  my  own  heart,  full  of 
life  and  go,  and  already  strong  enough  to  take  his  own  part ; 
in  the  next  place,  although  I  hope  for  the  best,  a  man  can 
never  say  exactly  what  will  take  place.  I  may  be  away  at 
times,  and  should  be  glad  to  know  that  you  had  a  protector; 
and  if  he  is  willing  to  go,  I  shall  be  more  than  willing  to 
have  him.  Then,  too,  it  would  be  useful  to  have  someone 
whom  one  could  trust  to  carry  messages.  My  idea  is  that 
1  shall  not  leave  the  lugger  here,  for  if  I  am  denounced  it 


22  NO   SURRENDER 

would  certainly  be  seized.  Pierre  Lefaux,  my  mate,  is  a 
shrewd  as  well  as  a  faithful  fellow;  I  shall  appoint  him 
captain.  I  shall  tell  him  to  leave  here  at  once  and  employ 
the  lugger  in  coasting  voyages,  making  Bordeaux  his  head- 
quarters, and  taking  what  freights  he  can  get  between  that 
town  and  Rochelle,  Brest,  or  other  ports  on  this  coast. 

' '  So  long  as  he  does  not  return  here  he  might  even  take 
wines  across  to  England  or  brandy  from  Charente.  He 
knows  his  business  well,  and  as  long  as  we  are  at  peace  with 
England,  trade  will  still  go  on.  The  best  thing  would  be  for 
him  to  be  at  Bordeaux  once  every  fortnight  or  three  weeks, 
so  that  we  shall  know  where  to  find  him.  I  have  a  great 
friend  at  Bordeaux,  and  shall  get  him  to  have  the  lugger 
registered  in  his  name,  and  give  him  a  receipt  for  her  pur- 
chase money,  so  that  in  case  the  people  here  learn  that  she 
is  trading  at  Bordeaux,  he  will  be  able  to  prove  that  she 
is  his  own  property.  Then,  if  the  very  worst  should  come, 
which  I  cannot  bring  myself  to  believe,  there  will  be  a  means 
of  escape  for  us  all  to  England.  She  will  be  sailing  there 
in  two  or  three  days.  I  have  fifty  thousand  francs  lying  in 
my  father's  hands;  I  shall  send  that  over  by  Lefaux  and 
instruct  him  to  ask  your  father  to  go  with  him  to  the  bank 
at  Poole  and  pay  the  money  in  to  my  account.  Then  if 
we  should  have  to  leave  France,  we  shall  have  that  to  fall 
back  upon,  and  the  lugger.  I  should,  of  course,  transfer  her 
to  the  English  flag,  and  have  no  doubt  that  we  should  be 
able  to  get  on  very  fairly.  So  you  see  I  am  preparing  for  all 
contingencies,  Patsey." 

"It  seems  very  dreadful  that  the  country  should  be  in 
such  a  state,  Jean." 

^^It  is  dreadful,  and  I  am  afraid  that  things  have  by  no 
means  got  to  the  worst  yet.  Ah,  here  comes  Leigh !  After 
supper  I  shall  go  in  and  have  a  talk  with  my  father.     I  have 


THE   BEGINNING   OF   TROUBLES  23 

very  little  hope  of  having  much  success  with  him,  but  at 
least,  when  he  sees  the  steps  that  I  am  taking,  it  cannot 
but  make  him  think  seriously  of  his  own  position,  and  that 
of  my  mother  and  sisters." 

Leigh  was  delighted  when  he  heard  Jean's  proposal. 
His  own  position  had  been  unpleasant  of  late.  He  had 
long  since  ceased  to  go  to  Jacques  Martin,  for  the  dislike 
between  them  was  mutual,  and  do  what  he  would,  he  failed 
to  give  satisfaction.  And  of  late,  even  in  Monsieur  Martin's 
cellars  and  storehouses,  he  had  met  with  a  good  deal  of  un- 
pleasantness, and  would  have  met  with  more  had  it  not 
been  that  he  had  on  one  occasion  knocked  down  one  of  the 
chief  clerks  who  had  sworn  at  him  for  some  trifling  act 
of  carelessness.  As  the  clerk  knew  that  the  merchant  would 
have  been  very  angry  at  the  insult  he  had  offered  to  Leigh, 
he  had  not  ventured  to  make  a  complaint,  but  in  many 
ways  he  had  been  able  to  cause  numberless  petty  annoy- 
ances. Many  of  the  others  were  inclined  to  follow  his 
lead,  and  would  have  done  so  more  openly,  were  it  not 
that  they  held  in  respect  Leigh's  strength  and  readiness 
in  the  science  they  called  le  boxe. 

The  talk  that  there  might  be  troubles  in  La  Vendee 
heightened  his  satisfaction  at  leaving  Nantes  and  going 
down  to  stay  in  the  country.  The  thought  of  a  hfe  spent 
at  Poole  or  Weymouth  as  a  wine  merchant  and  agent  of 
the  house  of  Martin  had  for  some  time  past  been  unpleasant 
to  him.  The  feeling  of  general  unrest  that  prevailed  in 
France  had  communicated  itself  to  him,  and  he  thought 
possibly  that  something  might  occur  which  would  change 
the  current  of  his  life  and  lead  to  one  more  suited  to  his 
natural  activity  and  energy. 

"You  had  better  pack  up  quietly  to-morrow,"  Jean  said 
to   his  wife  after  his  return   from   his   father's;    "if  there 


24  NO   SURRENDER 

were  any  suspicion  that  I  was  thinking  of  going  away  it 
might  bring  matters  to  a  head.  I  will  get  the  lugger's 
boat  down  to  the  wharf,  and  four  sailors  shall  come  up 
here  and  take  the  boxes  down  in  one  of  the  hand-carts 
with  a  tarpaulin  thrown  over  them.  I  will  arrange  for  a 
cart  and  a  carriage  to  be  waiting  for  us  on  the  other  side 
of  the  river. 

"  There  is  no  moving  my  father ;  he  cannot  persuade 
himself  that  a  man  who  takes  no  part  in  politics,  and  goes 
about  his  business  quietly,  can  be  in  any  danger.  He  has, 
however,  at  my  mother's  entreaty,  agreed  for  the  present 
to  cease  buying,  and  to  diminish  his  stock  as  far  as  possible, 
and  send  the  money  as  fast  as  he  realizes  it  across  to 
England.  He  says,  too,  that  he  will,  if  things  get  worse, 
send  her  and  my  sister  to  England.  I  promised  him  that 
your  father  would  find  them  a  house,  and  see  that  they 
were  setded  comfortably  there  for  a  time.  He  would  not 
believe  that  Jacques  could  have  been  at  the  club  when  I 
was  denounced  without  defending  me,  for  although  himself 
greatly  opposed  to  the  doings  in  Paris,  and  annoyed  at  the 
line  Jacques  has  taken  up,  he  thought  that  there  was  at  least 
this  advantage  in  it,  that  in  case  of  troubles  coming  here  he 
would  have  sufficient  influence  to  prevent  our  being  in  any 
way  molested.  However,  there  can  be  no  question  that  I 
have  to  some  extent  alarmed  him,  and  he  agreed  not  only 
to  draw  to-morrow  my  fifty  thousand  francs  from  his  caisse, 
but  to  send  over  with  it  a  hundred  thousand  francs  of  his 
own.  Fortunately  he  can  do  this  without  Jacques  knowing 
anything  about  it,  for  although  Jacques  and  I  have  both  a 
share  in  the  business  he  has  always  kept  the  management 
of  the  money  matters  in  his  own  hands.  So  that  is  settled 
as  far  as  it  can  be  settled.  Fortunately  the  club  does  not 
meet  this  evening,  so  there  is  no  fear  of  a  demand  being 


THE    BEGINNING   OF   TROUBLES  '  25 

made  by  it  for  my  arrest  to-morrow.  I  have  a  friend  who 
belongs  to  it  —  not,  I  think,  because  he  at  all  agrees  with 
its  views,  but  because,  like  many  others,  he  deems  it  prudent 
to  appear  to  do  so.  It  was  from  him  that  I  heard  what  had 
passed  there,  and  he  promised  to  give  me  warning  of  any- 
thing that  might  be  said  or  done  against  me.  I  shall  go  down 
to  the  lugger  early,  and  remain  on  board  all  day  seeing  to  the 
stowage  of  the  cargo  we  are  taking  on  board,  so  that  no  sus- 
picion can  arise  that  I  am  thinking  of  leaving  for  the  country." 

The  next  evening  the  party  started  by  unfrequented 
streets  for  the  quay,  the  nurse  carrying  the  child,  now 
three  months  old.  The  boxes  had  gone  half  an  hour  before. 
It  was  nearly  ten  o'clock,  and  the  quays  were  deserted. 
Monsieur  Martin  had  himself  gone  down  in  the  afternoon 
with  the  money  to  the  lugger  and  handed  it  over  to  Jean, 
and  had  a  long  talk  with  him  and  Pierre  Lefaux,  to  whom 
Jean  had  also  intrusted  letters  from  himself  and  Patsey 
to  the  squire. 

As  soon  as  the  party  had  taken  their  seats  in  the  boat 
it  was  rowed  two  miles  up  the  river  to  a  point  where 
there  was  a  ferry  across  to  a  road  leading  into  the  heart 
of  La  Vendee.  Here  a  light  waggon  and  a  carriage  were 
waiting.  The  luggage  was  transferred  to  the  former,  and, 
after  a  hearty  farewell  to  Pierre  Lefaux,  who  had  himself 
come  in  charge  of  the  boat,  they  started  on  their  journey, 
and  arrived  at  the  chateau  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
to  the  surprise  of  the  man  and  woman  in  charge  of  it. 

"  Here  we  are  safe,"  Jean  said  as  they  alighted  from  the 
carriage.  "It  would  take  nothing  short  of  an  army  to 
fight  its  way  through  these  woods  and  lanes,  and  if  the 
Assembly  try  to  interfere  with  us  they  will  find  it  a  much 
easier  thing  to  pull  down  the  throne  of  France  than  to 
subdue  La  Vendee." 


26  NO   SURRENDER 

The  news  that  the  master  had  come  down,  and  that  he 
was  going  for  a  time  to  live  among  them,  spread  rapidly, 
and  in  the  course  of  the  day  some  fifteen  of  the  tenants 
came  in  to  pay  their  respects,  few  of  them  arriving  without 
some  little  offering  in  the  way  of  game,  poultry,  butter, 
or  other  produce. 

"Our  larder  is  full  enough  for  us  to  stand  a  siege," 
Patsey  said,  laughing,  "and  I  know  that  we  have  a  good 
stock  of  wine  in  the  cellar,  Jean." 

"  Yes,  and  of  cider  too.  When  the  tenants  are  in  any 
difficulty  about  paying  their  rents,  I  am  always  willing  to 
take  it  out  in  wine  or  cider,  for  my  father  deals  in  both, 
and  therefore  it  is  as  good  as  money ;  but  I  have  not  sent 
any  to  Nantes  for  the  past  two  or  three  years,  and,  as  you 
say,  the  cellars  are  as  full  as  they  can  hold.  To-morrow, 
Leigh,  we  will  ride  over  and  call  upon  some  of  our  neigh- 
bours to  hear  the  last  news,  for  the  Bocage  is  as  far  away 
from  Nantes  as  if  it  were  on  the  other  side  of  France,  and 
we  hear  only  vague  rumours  of  what  is  going  on  here." 

The  ride  was  a  delightful  one  to  Leigh.  He  had  only 
once .  visited  the  chateau  before;  and  then  only  for  a  day 
or  two.  The  wild  country,  with  its  deep  lanes,  its  thick 
high  hedges,  its  woods  and  copses,  was  all  new  to  him, 
for  the  country  round  his  English  home  was  for  the  most 
part  bare  and  open.  Some  of  the  peasants  carried  guns 
over  their  shoulders,  and  looked  as  if  accustomed  to  use 
them. 

"  Very  few  of  them  possess  guns,"  Jean  Martin  remarked, 
"  and  that  they  should  carry  them  shows  how  disturbed 
a  state  of  mind  all  these  people  are  in.  They  know  that 
their  priests  may  be  arrested  and  carried  off  at  any  moment ; 
and  no  doubt  the  report  that  an  order  has  been  issued  to 
raise   thirty   thousand    men   throughout    France,    and   that 


THE    BEGINNING   OF   TROUBLES  27 

every  town  and  village  has  to  furnish  its  quota,  has  stirred 
them  up  even  more  effectually.  I  don't  suppose  that  many 
of  them  think  that  the  authorities  will  really  try  to  drag 
men  off  against  their  will,  but  the  possibility  is  quite  enough 
to  inflame  their  minds." 

At  the  very  first  house  they  visited  they  received  from 
the  owner  ample  confirmation  of  Jean's  views. 

"  There  have  been  continual  fracases  between  the  peasants 
and  the  military,"  he  said,  "over  the  attempts  of  the  latter 
to  arrest  the  priests.  They  can  scarcely  be  called  fights,  for 
it  has  not  come  to  that ;  but  as  soon  as  the  peasants  hear 
that  the  gendarmes  are  coming,  they  send  the  priest  into 
the  wood,  and  gather  in  such  force  that  the  gendarmes  are 
glad  enough  to  ride  away  unharmed.  Of  course,  until  we 
see  that  the  peasants  are  really  in  earnest  and  intend  to 
fight  to  the  last,  it  would  be  madness  for  any  of  us  to  take 
any  part  in  the  matter,  for  we  should  be  risking  not  only 
life  but  the  fortunes  of  our  families,  and  maybe  their  lives 
too.  You  must  remember,  moreover,  that  already  a  great 
number  of  the  landed  proprietors  have  either  been  mur- 
dered or  imprisoned  in  Paris,  or  are  fugitives  beyond  the 
frontier." 

"If  the  peasants  would  fight,"  Jean  Martin  said,  '^it 
might  not  be  a  bad  thing  that  there  are  so  few  whom 
they  could  regard  as  their  natural  leaders.  If  there  are 
only  a  few  leaders  they  may  act  together  harmoniously, 
or  each  operate  in  his  own  district,  but  with  a  number  of 
men  of  the  same  rank  or  nearly  of  the  same  rank,  each 
would  have  his  own  ideas  as  to  what  should  be  done,  and 
there  would  be  jealousy  and  discord." 

"  That  is  true,"  the  other  replied.  "  Of  course  if  this 
were  an  open  country  it  would  be  necessary,  to  give  us  a 
chance  of  success,  that  some  sort  of  discipline  should  be 


28  NO   SURRENDER 

established,  and  none  could  persuade  the  peasants  to  submit 
to  discipline  except  their  own  lords.  But  in  a  country  like 
this  discipline  is  of  comparatively  little  importance ;  and  it  is 
well  that  it  is  so,  for  though  I  believe  that  the  peasants 
would  fight  to  the  death  rather  than  submit  to  be  dragged 
away  by  force  from  their  homes,  they  will  never  keep 
together  for  any  time." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  that  will  be  the  case.  We  must  hope 
that  it  will  not  come  to  fighting,  but  if  it  does  it  will  take 
a  large  force  to  conquer  La  Vendee." 

"  What  has  brought  you  down  here,  Monsieur  Martin  ?  " 
"  It  was  not  safe  for  me  to  stay  longer  in  Nantes.  If 
I  think  a  thing  I  say  it,  and  as  I  don't  think  well  of 
what  is  being  done  in  Paris,  I  have  not  been  in  the  habit 
of  saying  flattering  things  about  the  men  there.  In  fact  I 
have  been  denounced,  and  as  there  is  still  room  for  a  few 
more  in  the  prisons,  I  should  have  had  a  cell  placed  at  my 
disposal  if  I  had  remained  there  many  more  hours,  so  I 
thought  that  I  should  be  safer  down  here  till  there  was 
some  change  in  the  state  of  affairs." 

"  And  you  brought  madame  down  with  you  ?  " 
"  Assuredly ;  I  had  only  the  choice  open  to  me  of  sending 
her  across  to  England,  and  of  making  my  home  there,  or 
of  coming  here.  If  there  had  been  no  prospect  of  trouble 
here  I  might  have  joined  the  army  of  our  countrymen  who 
are  in  exile  ;  but  as  from  all  I  heard  La  Vendee  was  ready 
to  take  up  arms,  I  determined  to  come  here,  partly  because, 
had  I  left  the  country,  my  estates  here  would  have  been 
confiscated,  partly  because  I  should  like  to  strike  a  blow 
myself  at  these  tyrants  of  Paris,  who  seem  bent  on  destroy- 
ing the  whole  of  the  aristocracy  of  France,  of  wiping  out 
the  middle  classes,  and  dividing  the  land  and  all  else  among 
the  scum  of  the  towns." 


THE    BEGINNING    OF  TROUBLES    '  29 

Three  or  four  months  passed  quietly.  There  were  occa- 
sional skirmishes  between  the  peasants  and  parties  of  troops 
in  search  of  priests  who  refused  to  obey  the  orders  of  the 
Assembly.  At  Nantes,  the  work  of  carrying  out  mock 
trials,  and  executing  those  of  the  better  classes  who  had 
been  swept  into  the  prisons,  went  on  steadily.  From  time 
to  time  a  message  came  to  Jean  from  his  father  saying 
that  he  had  carried  out  his  determination  to  lessen  his 
stocks,  and  that  he  had  sent  considerable  sums  of  money 
across  the  Channel.  So  far  he  had  not  been  molested, 
but  he  saw  that  the  public  madness  was  increasing,  and 
the  passion  for  blood  ever  growing.  Then  came  the  news 
of  the  execution  of  the  king,  which  sent  a  thrill  of  horror 
through  the  loyal  province.  Shortly  afterwards  it  was 
known  that  the  decree  for  the  raising  of  men  was  to  be 
enforced,  and  that  commissioners  had  already  arrived  at 
Saumur  with  a  considerable  force  that  would  be  employed 
if  necessary,  but  that  the  process  of  drawing  the  names  of 
those  who  were  to  go  was  to  be  carried  out  by  the  local 
authorities  assisted  by  the  national  guards  of  the  towns. 

During  the  winter  things  had  gone  on  quietly  at  the 
chateau.  There  had  been  but  little  visiting,  for  the 
terrible  events  passing  in  Paris  and  in  all  the  large  towns, 
and  the  uncertainty  about  the  future,  had  cast  so  deep 
a  gloom  over  the  country  that  none  thought  of  pleasure, 
or  even  of  cheerful  intercourse  with  their  neighbours.  Many 
of  the  gentry,  too,  had  given  up  all  hope,  and  had  made 
their  way  down  to  the  coast  and  succeeded  in  obtaining  a 
passage  in  smuggling  craft,  or  even  in  fishing-boats,  to 
England.  Jean  Martin  and  Leigh  had  spent  much  of  their 
time  in  shooting.  Game  was  abundant,  and  as  so  many  of 
the  chateaux  were  shut  up,  they  had  a  wide  range  of 
country  open   to    them    for  sport.     Once    or  twice  they 


30  NO   SURRENDER 

succeeded  in  bringing  home  a  wild  boar.  Wolves  had 
multiplied  in  the  forests,  for  during  the  last  three  years  the 
regular  hunts  in  which  all  the  gentry  took  part  had  been 
abandoned,  and  the  animals  had  grown  fearless.  One  day, 
soon  after  the  news  of  the  king's  death  had  been  received, 
Jean,  who  had  ridden  over  to  Saumur  on  business,  brought 
back  the  news  that  war  had  been  declared  with  England. 

"  It  would  have  made  a  good  deal  of  difference  to 
me,"  he  said,  "  if  I  had  still  been  on  board  the  lugger, 
for  of  course  there  would  be  an  end  to  all  legitimate 
trade.  However,  no  doubt  I  should  have  managed  to 
run  a  cargo  sometimes,  for  they  will  want  brandy  and 
tobacco  all  the  more  when  regular  trade  is  at  an  end, 
and  prices,  you  may  be  sure,  will  go  up.  I  have  no  doubt, 
too,  that  there  will  be  a  brisk  business  in  carrying  emi- 
grants over.  Still,  of  course  the  danger  would  be  very 
much  greater.  Hitherto  we  have  only  had  the  revenue 
cutters  and  the  coast-guards  to  be  afraid  of,  now  every 
vessel  of  war  would  be  an  enemy." 

As  during  their  expeditions  they  were  generally  accom- 
panied by  half  a  dozen  peasants,  who  acted  as  beaters, 
Leigh  had  come  to  understand  the  patois,  and  to  some 
extent  to  speak  it,  and  he  often  paid  visits  to  the  houses  of 
the  principal  tenants  of  the  estate,  who  not  only  welcomed 
him  as  the  brother  of  their  mistress,  but  soon  came  to  like 
him  for  himself,  and  were  amused  by  his  high  spirits,  his 
readiness  to  be  pleased  with  everything,  and  his  talk  to  them 
of  the  little-known  country  across  the  water. 

It  was  evident  from  the  manner  in  which  the  drawing 
for  the  conscription  was  spoken  of  that  it  would  not  be 
carried  out  without  a  strong  resistance.  Sunday,  the  tenth 
of  March,  had  been  fixed  for  the  drawing,  and  as  the  day 
approached,  the  peasants  became  more  and  more  determined 


THE   BEGINNING   OF   TROUBLES       '  31 

that  they  would  not  permit  themselves  to  be  dragged  away 
from  their  homes.  Three  days  before,  a  party  of  the 
tenants,  together  with  some  from  adjoining  estates,  had 
come  up  to  the  chateau.  Jean  Martin  at  once  came  out 
to  them. 

"  We  have  come,  monsieur,  to  ask  if  you  will  lead  us. 
We  are  determined  that  we  will  not  be  carried  off  like 
sheep." 

"There  you  are  right,"  Jean  said  ;  *'  but  although  I  shall 
be  ready  to  do  my  share  of  fighting,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  a 
leader.  In  the  first  place,  there  are  many  gentlemen  of  far 
larger  possessions  and  of  higher  rank  than  myself,  who 
would  naturally  be  your  leaders.  There  is  the  Marquis 
de  Lescure  at  Clisson,  and  with  him  are  several  other  noble 
gentlemen,  among  them  Henri  de  la  Rochejaquelein  —  he  is 
a  cavalry  officer.  His  family  have  emigrated,  but  he  has 
remained  here  on  his  estates.  Then,  too,  you  have  many 
other  military  officers  who  have  served.  There  is  Monsieur 
de  Bonchamp,  Monsieur  d'Elb^e,  and  Monsieur  Dommaigne, 
all  of  whom  have  served  in  the  army.  If  the  insurrection 
becomes  general,  I  shall  head  my  own  tenants  and  join  the 
force  under  some  chosen  commander,  but  I  shall  not  appear 
as  a  leader.  Not  only  am  I  altogether  ignorant  of  military 
affairs,  but  were  it  known  in  Nantes  that  I  was  prominent 
in  the  rising,  they  would  undoubtedly  avenge  themselves 
upon  my  relations  there." 

It  was  known  that  artillery  and  gendarmes  had  been 
gathered  in  all  the  towns  of  La  Vendue.  Two  days  before 
that  appointed  for  the  drawing,  Jean  said  to  Leigh,  "I 
shall  ride  to-morrow  to  the  castle  of  Clisson.  I  know 
Monsieur  de  Lescure  ;  he  has  wide  influence,  and  is  known 
to  be  a  devoted  royalist,  and  to  have  several  royalist 
refugees  now  at  his  house.     I  shall  be  able  to  learn  from 


32  NO   SURRENDER 

him  whether  his  intention  is  to  take  part  in  the  insur- 
rection. It  is  a  long  ride,  and  I  shall  not  return  until 
to-morrow;  if  you  like,  you  can  ride  north  to  St.  Florent. 
If  there  should  be  any  tumult,  I  charge  you  not  to  take 
any  part  in  it;  you  had  better  leave  your  horse  at  some 
cabaret  on  this  side  of  the  town,  and  go  in  on  foot.  It 
is  possible  that  there  will  be  no  trouble  there,  for  they  are 
sure  to  have  made  preparations  against  it,  and  it  is  more 
likely  that  there  will  be  disturbances  at  smaller  places.  Still, 
it  will  be  interesting  to  mark  the  attitude  of  the  peasants. 

"  You  see,  if  there  is  to  be  a  war,  it  is  their  war.  The 
gentlemen  here  would  have  fought  for  the  king  had  there 
been  a  shadow  of  a  prospect  of  success,  and  had  he  given 
the  smallest  encouragement  to  his  friends  to  rally  to  his 
support.  They  might  even  have  fought  against  the  dis- 
turbance of  the  clergy,  but  they  would  have  had  no 
followers.  The  peasants  cared  but  little  for  the  king,  and 
though  they  did  care  enough  for  the  priests  to  aid  them  to 
escape,  they  did  not  care  enough  to  give  battle  lor  their». 
They  are  now  going  to  fight  for  their  own  cause,  and  for 
their  own  liberty.  They  have  to  show  us  that  they  are  in 
earnest  about  it  before  we  join  them.  If  they  are  in  earn- 
est, we  ought  to  be  successful.  We  ought  to  be  able  to  put 
a  hundred  thousand  men  in  arms,  and  in  such  a  country  as 
this  we  should  be  able  to  defy  any  force  that  the  Con- 
vention can  send  against  us,  and  to  maintain  the  right 
of  La  Vendee  to  hold  itself  aloof  from  the  doings  of  the 
rest  of  France. 

"But,  as  I  said,  until  we  know  that  they  are  really 
in  earnest,  we  cannot  afford  to  throw  in  our  lot  with  them  ; 
so  if  you  go  to  St.  Florent  keep  well  away  from  the  point 
where  the  drawing  is  to  take  place.  Watch  affairs  from  a 
distance.     I   have  little   doubt  that  those  who  go  will  go 


THE   BEGINNING   OF   TROUBLES         '  33 

with  the  determination  of  defending  themselves,  but  whether 
they  will  do  so  will  depend  upon  whether  there  is  one 
among  them  energetic  enough  to  take  the  lead;  that  is 
always  the  difficulty  in  such  matters.  If  there  is  a  fight, 
we  must,  as  I  say,  simply  watch  it;  it  is  at  present  no 
affair  of  ours.  If  it  begins,  we  shall  all  have  our  work 
before  us,  plenty  of  it,  and  plenty  of  danger  and  excitement, 
but  for  the  present  we  have  to  act  as  spectators." 

It  was  a  ride  of  fifteen  miles  to  St.  Florent,  and  although 
Leigh  had  twice  during  the  winter  ridden  there  with  Jean, 
he  had  some  difficulty  in  finding  his  way  through  the 
winding  roads  and  numerous  lanes  along  which  he  had  to 
pass.  During  the  early  part  of  the  ride  he  met  with  but 
few  people  on  the  way;  the  church  bells  were  ringing 
as  usual,  and  there  was  nothing  to  show  that  any  trouble 
was  impending;  but  when  he  arrived  within  two  or  three 
miles  of  the  town,  he  overtook  Httle  groups  of  peasants 
walking  in  that  direction.  Some  of  them,  he  saw,  carried 
pitchforks,  the  rest  had  stout  cudgels.  St.  Florent  stood 
on  the  Loire,  and  in  an  open  space  in  the  centre  of  the 
town  the  authorities  were  gathered.  Behind  them  was  a 
force  of  gendarmes,  and  in  the  middle  of  their  line  stood 
a  cannon. 

Leigh  had,  as  Jean  had  told  him,  left  his  horse  outside  the 
town,  and  now  took  up  his  place  with  a  number  of  towns- 
people on  one  side  of  the  square.  As  the  peasants  arrived, 
they  clustered  together  at  the  end  of  the  street,  waiting  for 
the  hour  to  strike  at  which  the  drawing  was  to  begin.  A 
few  minutes  before  the  clock  struck,  some  of  the  gendarmes 
left  the  group  in  the  centre  of  the  square  and  advanced  to 
the  peasants.  They  were  headed  by  an  officer,  who,  as  he 
came  up,  exclaimed,  "  What  do  you  mean  by  coming  here 
with  pitchforks?    Lay  them  down  at  once!" 

i 


84  NO  SURRENDER 

There  was  a  low  murmur  among  the  peasants. 

*'  Follow  me  !  "  he  said  to  his  men  ;  and  walking  up  to  one 
of  the  men  carrying  a  pitchfork,  he  said,  "  I  arrest  you  in 
the  name  of  the  Republic." 

In  an  instant  a  young  man  standing  next  to  the  one  he 
had  seized  sprang  forward  and  struck  the  officer  to  the 
ground  with  his  cudgel. 

"  Follow  me  !  "  he  shouted.     "  Make  for  the  gun  ! " 

With  a  cheer  the  peasants  rushed  forward,  overthrowing 
the  gendarmes  as  they  went.  The  municipal  authorities, 
after  hesitating  for  a  moment,  took  to  their  heels  in  the 
most  undignified  manner.  The  gun  had  not  been  loaded, 
the  gendarmes  round  it,  seeing  that  they  were  greatly  out- 
numbered, followed  their  example,  and  the  peasants  with 
exultant  shouts  seized  the  cannon,  and  then  scattering, 
chased  the  gendarmes  out  of  the  town.  Never  was  a  more 
speedy  and  bloodless  victory.  Headed  by  their  leader, 
whose  name  was  Rene  Foret,  the  peasants  went  to  the 
municipality,  broke  open  the  doors,  took  possession  of  the 
arms  stored  there,  collected  all  the  papers  they  could  find, 
and  made  a  great  bonfire  with  them  in  the  centre  of  the 
square ;  then,  without  harming  anyone  or  doing  the  slightest 
mischief,  they  left  the  town  and  scattered  to  their  homes 
in  the  Bocage. 

Leigh  waited  until  all  was  over,  returned  to  the  cabaret 
where  he  had  left  his  horse,  and  rode  on.  Passing  through 
the  little  town  of  Pin,  a  powerful-looking  man  some  thirty- 
five  years  old,  with  a  quiet  manner,  broad  forehead,  and 
intelhgent  face,  stepped  up  to  him. 

"  Pardon,  monsieur,"  he  said ;  "  but  you  have  come  from 
St.  Florent?" 

"  Yes,"  he  replied. 

"  Has  aught  happened  there  ?  *' 


FOLLOW    me!"    he    shouted.       "MAKE    FOR   THE    GUN  ! 


THE   BEGINNING   OF  TROUBLES  '  85 

"Yes,  the  peasants  attacked  the  gendarmes,  who  fled, 
leaving  their  cannon  behind  them.  The  peasants  took  what 
arms  there  were  in  the  municipahty,  and  made  a  bonfire  of 
the  papers ;  they  then,  without  doing  any  damage,  dispersed 
to  their  homes." 

"  They  have  done  well,"  the  man  said,  "  they  have  made 
a  beginning.  My  name,  monsieur,  is  Cathelineau,  my  busi- 
ness, so  far,  has  been  that  of  a  hawker ;  I  am  well  known  in 
this  part  of  the  country.  Maybe,  sir,  you  will  hear  my  name 
again,  for  henceforth  I  am  an  insurgent.  We  have  borne 
this  tyranny  of  the  butchers  in  Paris  too  long,  and  the  time 
has  come  when  we  must  either  free  ourselves  of  it  or  die. 
You  belong  to  another  class,  but  methinks  that  when  you  see 
that  we  are  in  earnest,  you  will  join  us." 

"  I  doubt  not  that  we  shall,"  Leigh  said.  "  I  am  but  a 
lad  yet,  but  I  hope  that  when  the  time  comes  I  shall  do 
my  part." 

The  man  lifted  his  hat  and  moved  off,  and  Leigh  rode 
forward  again.  He  was  struck  with  the  earnest  manner  of 
the  man.  He  had  spoken  calmly  and  without  excitement, 
expressed  himself  well,  and  had  the  air  of  a  man  who,  having 
determined  upon  a  thing,  would  carry  it  through. 

"  I  expect  I  shall  hear  of  him  again,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  A  man  like  that,  travelling  round  the  country,  no  doubt  has 
ra  deal  of  influence  ;  he  is  just  the  sort  of  man  the  peasants 
Iwould  follow ;  indeed,  as  it  seems  to  me,  that  anyone  might 
[follow." 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  he  arrived  home  and 
Itold  his  sister  what  he  had  witnessed. 

I  am  not  surprised,  Leigh,"  she  said.     "  If  I  were  a 

'man  I  would  take  up  arms  too.     There  must  be  an  end  to 

[what  is  going  on.     Thousands  have  been  murdered  in  Paris, 

len  and  women,  and  at  least  as  many  more  in  the  other 


36  NO   SURRENDER 

great  towns.  If  this  goes  on,  not  only  the  nobles  and 
gentry,  but  the  middle  class  of  France  will  all  disappear, 
and  these  blood-stained  monsters  will,  I  suppose,  set  to  to 
kill  each  other.  I  feel  half  French  now,  Leigh,  and  it  is 
almost  too  awful  to  think  of.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  only 
hope  is  that  the  peasants,  not  only  of  the  Bocage,  but  of  all 
Poitou,  Anjou,  and  Brittany,  may  rise,  be  joined  by  those 
of  other  parts,  and  march  upon  the  towns,  destroy  them 
altogether,  and  kill  all  who  have  been  concerned  in  these 
doings." 

"  That  would  be  pretty  sweeping,  Patsey,"  Leigh  laughed. 
**  But  you  know  I  hate  them  as  much  as  you  do,  and  though 
I  don't  feel  a  bit  French,  I  would  certainly  do  all  that  I 
could  against  them,  just  as  one  would  kill  wild  beasts  who 
go  about  tearing  people  to  pieces.  It  is  no  odds  to  me 
whether  the  men,  women,  and  children  they  kill  are  French 
or  English,  one  wants  to  put  a  stop  to  their  killing." 

"  I  wish  now  that  I  had  not  brought  you  out  with  me, 
Leigh." 

"In  the  first  place,  Patsey,  I  deny  altogether  that  you 
did  bring  me  out  —  Jean  brought  me  out ;  and  in  the  next 
place,  I  don't  see  why  you  should  be  sorry.  I  would  not 
miss  all  this  excitement  for  anything.  Besides,  I  have 
learned  to  talk  French  well,  and  something  of  the  business 
of  a  wine  merchant.  I  can't  be  taken  in  by  having  common 
spirit  a  year  or  two  old  passed  off  on  me  as  the  finest  from 
Charente,  or  a  common  claret  for  a  choice  brand.  All  that 
is  useful,  even  if  I  do  not  become  a  wine  merchant.  At  any 
rate  it  is  more  useful  than  stopping  at  Netherstock,  where 
I  should  have  learned  nothing  except  a  little  more  Latin  and 
Greek." 

"Yes,  but  you  may  be  killed,  Leigh." 

"Well,  I  suppose  if  I  had  stayed  at  home  and  got  a 


THE    BEGINNING   OF   TROUBLES  37 

commission  in  the  army  or  a  midshipman's  berth  in  the  navy 
I  might  have  been  killed,  and  if  I  had  my  choice  I  would 
much  rather  be  killed  in  fighting  against  people  who  murder 
women  and  children  who  have  committed  no  crime  what- 
ever, than  in  fighting  soldiers  or  sailors  of  another  nation, 
who  may  be  just  as  honest  fellows  as  we  are." 

"  I  cannot  argue  with  you,  Leigh,  but  if  anything  happens 
to  you  I  shall  blame  myself  all  my  Hfe." 

"  That  would  be  foolish,"  Leigh  said.  "  It  is  funny  what 
foolish  ideas  women  have.  You  could  not  have  foreseen 
what  was  coming  when  you  came  over  here,  and  you  thought 
that  it  would  be  a  good  thing  for  me  to  accompany  you 
for  a  time.  You  did  what  you  thought  was  best,  and  which 
I  think  was  best.  Well,  if  it  does  n't  turn  out  just  what  we 
expected,  you  cannot  blame  yourself  for  that.  Why,  if  you 
were  to  ask  me  to  come  for  a  walk,  and  a  tree  fell  on  me  as 
we  were  going  along  and  killed  me,  you  would  hardly  blame 
yourself  because  you  asked  me  to  come ;  and  this  is  just 
the  same.  At  any  rate,  if  I  do  get  killed,  which  I  don't 
mean  to  be  if  I  can  help  it,  there  is  no  one  else  who  will 
take  it  very  much  to  heart  except  yourself.  There  are 
plenty  of  them  at  home,  and  now  that  I  have  been  away 
nearly  two  years,  they  must  almost  have  forgotten  my 
existence." 

"  I  consider  you  a  very  foolish  boy,"  Patsey  said  gravely. 
"  You  talk  a  great  deal  too  much  nonsense." 

"  Very  well,  Patsey,  abuse  is  not  argument,  and  almost 
every  word  that  you  have  said  applies  equally  well  to  your 
folly  in  leaving  a  comfortable  home  in  a  quiet  country  to 
come  to  such  a  dangerous  place  as  this.  Now  I  hope  that 
supper  is  ready,  for  I  am  as  hungry  as  a  hunter." 


38  NO    SURRENDER 

CHAPTER   III 

THE    FIRST   SUCCESSES 

THE  next  morning  at  twelve  o'clock  Jean  Martin  reached 
home. 

"  The  war  has  begun,"  he  said  as  he  leaped  from  his  horse. 
"  Henri  de  la  Rochejaquelein  has  accepted  the  leadership 
of  the  peasants  at  Clisson.  Lescure  would  have  joined  also, 
but  Henri  pointed  out  to  him  that  it  would  be  better  not 
to  compromise  his  family  until  it  was  certain  that  the 
insurrection  would  become  general.  The  young  count  was 
starting  just  as  I  got  to  the  chateau.  He  is  a  splendid 
young  fellow,  full  of  enthusiasm,  and  burning  to  avenge  the 
misfortunes  that  have  fallen  upon  his  family.  A  peasant 
had  arrived  the  evening  before  with  a  message  from  his 
aunt,  who  lives  farther  to  the  south.  He  brought  news 
that  the  chevalier  de  Charette,  formerly  a  lieutenant  in  the 
navy,  and  a  strong  Royalist,  who  had  escaped  the  massacres 
at  Paris,  and  was  living  quietly  on  his  estate  near  Mache- 
coul,  had  been  asked  several  times  by  the  peasants  in  his 
neighbourhood  to  take  the  command,  and  had  accepted  it, 
and  that  the  rising  was  so  formidable  there  that  it  was 
certain  the  authorities  in  that  part  of  Poitou  would  not 
succeed  in  enforcing  the  conscription. 

"  I  have  told  Lescure  that  I  shall  be  prepared  to  join  as 
soon  as  there  is  a  general  movement  here,  but  that  I  should 
attach  myself  to  whoever  took  the  direction  of  affairs  in 
this  part,  for  that  in  the  first  place  I  knew  nothing  of  war, 
and  in  the  second  place  I  have  resided  here  so  small  a  por- 
tion of  my  time  that  I  am  scarcely  known  save  to  my  own 
tenants.     After  our  meal  we  will  ride  round  and  see  how 


I'HE   FIRST   SUCCESSES  o9 

they  are  off  for  arms  and  powder ;  that  is  our  great  weak- 
ness. I  am  afraid,  taking  the  whole  country  round,  that 
not  one  man  in  twenty  possesses  a  gun." 

This  indeed  was  found  to  be  the  case  as  far  as  those  on 
the  estate  were  concerned ;  the  men  themselves,  however, 
seemed  to  think  Httle  of  this. 

"We  will  take  them  from  the  Blues,"  several  of  them 
said  confidently.  "  It  does  not  matter  a  bit ;  they  will  only 
have  time  to  fire  one  volley  in  these  lanes  of  ours,  and  then 
we  shall  be  among  them,  and  a  pike  or  pitchfork  are  just 
as  good  at  close  quarters  as  a  bayonet." 

That  the  whole  country  was  astir  was  evident  from  the 
fact  that  the  sound  of  the  church  bells  rose  from  the 
woods  in  all  directions.  All  work  was  suspended,  and  the 
peasants  flocked  into  the  little  villages  to  hear  the  news 
that  was  brought  in  from  several  directions.  Cathelineau 
had  in  the  course  of  the  night  gathered  a  party  of  twenty- 
seven  men,  who  at  daybreak  had  started  out  from  Pin, 
setting  the  church  bells  ringing  in  the  villages  through 
which  they  passed,  until  a  hundred  men,  armed  for  the 
most  part  with  pitchforks  and  stakes,  had  gathered  round 
him.  Then  he  boldly  attacked  the  chateau  of  Tallais, 
garrisoned  by  a  hundred  and  fifty  soldiers,  having  with 
them  a  cannon.  This  was  fired,  but  the  shot  passed  over 
the  peasants'  heads,  and  with  a  shout  they  dashed  forward, 
and  the  soldiers  of  the  republic  threw  away  their  arms 
and  fled.  Thus  Cathelineau's  followers  became  possessed 
of  firearms,  some  horses,  and  to  their  great  delight,  a 
cannon. 

Their  leader  did  not  waste  a  moment,  but  marched  at 
once  against  Chemille,  his  force  increasing  at  every  moment 
as  the  men  flocked  in  from  the  villages.  There  were  at 
Chemille  two  hundred  soldiers  with  three  guns,  but  some 


40  NO   SURRENDER 

of  the  fugitives  from  Tallais  had  already  arrived  there 
bringing  news  of  the  desperate  fury  with  which  the  peas- 
ants had  attacked  them,  and  at  the  sight  of  the  throng 
approaching  with  their  captured  cannon  the  garrison  lost 
heart  altogether  and  bolted,  leaving  their  three  cannon, 
their  ammunition,  and  the  greater  portion  of  their  muskets 
behind  them.  The  news  spread  with  incredible  rapidity. 
From  each  village  they  passed  through  boys  were  despatched 
as  messengers,  and  their  tidings  were  taken  on  by  fresh 
relays.  By  the  afternoon  all  the  country  for  thirty  miles 
round  knew  that  Cathelineau  had  captured  Tallais  and 
Chemill^,  and  was  in  possession  of  a  quantity  of  arms  and 
four  cannon. 

From  St.  Florent  came  the  news  that  early  in  the 
morning  a  party  of  Republican  soldiers  had  endeavoured 
to  arrest  Foret,  who  led  the  rising  on  the  previous  day,  but 
that  he  had  obtained  word  of  their  approach,  and,  setting 
the  church  bells  ringing,  had  collected  a  force  and  had 
beaten  back  those  who  came  in  search  of  him.  Close  by 
a  detachment  of  National  Guards  from  Chollett  had  visited 
the  chateau  of  Maulevrier.  The  proprietor  was  absent, 
but  they  carried  off  twelve  cannon  which  had  been  kept 
as  family  relics.  The  gamekeeper,  Nicholas  Stofflet,  who 
was  in  charge  of  the  estate,  had  served  sixteen  years  in 
the  army.  He  was  a  man  of  great  strength,  courage,  and 
sagacity,  and,  furious  at  the  theft  of  his  master's  cannon, 
had  gathered  the  peasantry  round  and  was  already  at  the 
head  of  two  hundred  men. 

"Things  go  on  apace,  Patsey,"  Jean  Martin  said  as  they 
sat  by  the  fire  that  evening.  "  We  only  know  what  is 
happening  within  some  twenty  or  thirty  miles  of  us,  but  if 
the  spirit  shown  here  exists  throughout  Poitou  and  Anjou, 
there   can    be    no    doubt  that  in   a  very  short    time    the 


THE   FIRST   SUCCESSES  41 

insurrection  will  be  general.  This  Cathelineau,  by  their 
description,  must  be  a  man  of  no  ordinary  ability,  and  he 
has  lost  no  time  in  showing  his  energy.  For  myself,  I  care 
not  in  the  least  what  is  the  rank  of  my  leader.  Here  in 
La  Vendee  there  is  no  broad  line  between  the  seigneurs, 
the  tenants,  and  the  peasantry ;  at  all  rustic  fetes  they 
mix  on  equal  terms.  The  seigneurs  set  the  example  by 
dancing  with  the  peasant  girls,  and  their  wives  and 
daughters  do  not  disdain  to  do  the  same  with  tenants  or 
peasantry;  they  attend  the  marriages  and  all  holiday  fes- 
tivities, are  foremost  in  giving  aid,  and  in  showing  kindness 
in  cases  of  distress  or  illness ;  and  I  feel  sure  that  if  they 
found  in  a  man  like  Cathelineau  a  genius  for  command  they 
would  follow  him  as  readily  as  one  of  their  own  rank." 

On  the  fourteenth  the  news  came  that  the  bands  of  Stofflet 
and  Foret  had  with  others  joined  that  of  Cathelineau. 
Jean  Martin  hesitated  no  longer. 

"The  war  has  fairly  begun,"  he  said.  "I  shall  be  off 
to-morrow  morning.  If  Cathelineau  is  defeated  we  shall 
have  the  Republicans  devastating  the  whole  country,  and 
massacring  women  and  children  as  they  did  last  August 
after  a  rising  for  the  protection  of  the  priests ;  therefore  I 
shall  be  fighting  now  in  defence  of  our  lives  and  home,  wife." 

"  I  would  not  keep  you  at  home,  Jean  ;  I  think  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  man  to  join  in  the  defence  against  these 
wretches.  I  know  that  no  mercy  will  be  shown  by  them 
if  they  conquer  us.  But  you  will  not  take  Leigh  with  you, 
surely  ?  " 

Leigh  uttered  an  exclamation. 

"  Leigh  must  choose  for  himself,"  Jean  said  quietly.  "  He 
is  not  French,  and  would  have  no  concern  in  the  matter 
beyond  that  of  humanity  were  it  not  that  you  are  here  ; 
but  at  present  our  home  is  his,  your  life  and  his  also  are 


42  NO   SURRENDER 

involved  if  we  are  beaten.  He  is  young  to  fight,  but  there 
will  doubtless  be  many  others  no  older  and  probably  much 
less  strong  than  he  is.  Moreover,  if  I  should  be  killed 
it  is  he  who  must  bear  you  the  news,  and  must  arrange 
with  you  your  plans  and  act  as  your  protector.  I  do  not 
say  that  I  should  advise  your  leaving  the  chateau  directly, 
but  if  the  Republicans  come  this  way  it  will  be  no  place  for 
you,  and  I  should  say  that  it  would  be  vastly  better  that 
you  should  at  once  endeavour  to  cross  to  England.  There 
are  five  thousand  francs  in  gold  in  my  bureau,  which  are 
worth  three  or  four  times  their  value  in  assignats,  and 
should,  if  you  can  gain  the  coast,  be  amply  sufficient  to 
procure  a  passage  for  you  to  England.  Do  not  weep,  dear; 
it  is  necessary  to  leave  you,  on  an  undertaking  of  this  kind, 
prepared  for  whatever  may  happen.  At  present  the  risk  is 
very  small ;  as  we  have  heard,  the  fury  of  the  peasants  has 
struck  such  consternation  into  the  National  Guards  and 
newly-raised  soldiers  that  they  will  not  await  their  onslaught, 
and  it  will  not  be  until  the  Convention  becomes  aware 
of  the  really  serious  nature  of  the  storm  they  have  raised 
that  there  will  be  any  hard  fighting.  Still,  even  in  a  petty 
skirmish  men  fall,  and  it  is  right  that  before  I  go  we  should 
arrange  as  to  what  course  you  had  best  pursue  in  case  of 
my  death.  From  the  first,  when  we  came  here  we  did  so 
with  our  eyes  open ;  if  we  had  merely  sought  safety  we 
should  have  gone  to  England.  We  came  here  partly  be- 
cause it  is  my  home,  and  therefore  my  proper  place,  and 
partly  because,  in  case  La  Vendee  rose  against  these  exe- 
cutioners of  Paris,  every  man  of  honour  and  loyalty  should 
aid  in  the  good  cause." 

"  I  know,  Jean,  and  I  would  not  keep  you  back." 
"  The  struggle  has  begun,  and  if  the  Republicans  conquer 
La  Vendue,  we  know  how  awful  will  be  the  persecutions, 


THE   FIRST   SUCCESSES  43 

what  thousands  of  victims  will  be  slaughtered.  Our  only 
hope  is  in  victory ;  and  at  any  rate  those  who  die  on  the 
battle-field  will  be  happy  in  comparison  with  those  who  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  Blues." 

"  You  wish  to  go,  Leigh  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  do,"  the  lad  said.  "  I  think  that  everyone 
strong  enough  to  carry  arms  in  La  Vendue  ought  to  join 
and  do  his  best.  I  can  shoot  better  than  most  of  the 
peasantry,  not  one  in  twenty  of  whom  has  ever  had  a  gun 
in  his  hands,  and  I  am  sure  that  I  am  as  strong  as  most  of 
them.  Besides,  if  I  had  been  at  home  I  should,  now  the  war 
has  begun,  have  tried  to  get  a  commission  and  to  fight  the 
French  —  I  mean  the  people  who  govern  France  at  present  — 
and  in  fighting  them  here  I  am  only  doing  what  thousands 
of  Englishmen  will  be  doing  elsewhere." 

"Very  well,  Leigh,  then  you  shall  go  with  Jean.  I  shall 
certainly  be  glad  to  know  you  are  together,  so  that  if  one  is 
wounded  or  ill  the  other  can  look  after  him  and  bring  him 
here.     I  shall  do  the  best  I  can  while  you  are  away." 

"  I  think  that  we  shall  soon  be  back  again,  and  that  we 
shall  be  constantly  seeing  you,"  Jean  said.  **  You  may  be 
sure  that  the  peasants  will  not  keep  the  field.  They  will 
gather  and  fight,  and,  win  or  lose,  they  will  then  scatter  to 
their  homes  again  until  the  church  bells  call  them  out  to 
repel  a  fresh  attack  of  the  enemy ;  that  is  our  real  weak- 
ness :  there  will  never  be  any  discipline,  never  any  common 
aim.  If  all  the  peasants  in  the  west  would  join  in  a  great 
effort  and  march  on  Paris,  I  believe  that  the  peasantry  of 
the  departments  through  which  they  pass  would  join  us ;  it 
would  only  be  the  National  Guards  of  the  towns  and  the  new 
levies  that  we  should  have  to  meet,  and  I  believe  that  we 
might  take  Paris,  crush  the  scum  of  the  faubourgs,  and 
hang  every  member  of  the   Convention.      But  they  will 


44  NO   SURRENDER 

never  do  it ;  it  will  be  a  war  of  defence  only,  and  a  war 
so  carried  out  must  in  the  long  run  be  an  unsuccessful 
one.  However,  the  result  will  be  that  we  shall  never  be 
very  far  away  from  home,  and  shall  often  return  for  a  few 
days.  You  must  always  keep  a  change  of  clothes  and  your 
trinkets  and  so  on  packed  up,  so  that  at  an  hour's  notice  you 
and  Marthe  can  start  with  the  child,  either  on  receiving 
a  note  from  me  telling  you  where  to  join  us,  or  if  you  get 
news  that  a  force  from  Nantes  is  marching  rapidly  in  this 
direction.  Two  horses  will  always  remain  in  the  stables 
in  readiness  to  put  into  the  light  cart.  Henri  will  be  your 
driver.  Francois  you  must  send  off  to  find  us,  and  tell  us 
the  road  that  you  have  taken.  However,  of  course  we  shall 
make  all  these  arrangements  later  on,  when  affairs  become 
more  serious.  I  don't  think  there  is  any  chance  whatever 
of  the  enemy  making  their  way  into  the  country  for  weeks, 
perhaps  for  months,  to  come." 

The  next  morning  Jean  Martin  and  Leigh  started  early ; 
each  carried  a  rifle  slung  behind  him,  a  brace  of  pistols  in 
his  holsters,  and  a  sword  in  his  belt.  Patsey  had  recovered 
from  her  depression  of  the  previous  evening,  and  her 
natural  good  spirits  enabled  her  to  maintain  a  cheerful  face 
at  parting,  especially  as  her  husband's  assurances  that  there 
would  be  no  serious  fighting  for  some  time  had  somewhat 
calmed  her  fears  for  their  safety. 

"The  horses  are  useful  to  us  for  carrying  us  about, 
Leigh,"  Jean  Martin  said  as  they  rode  along,  "but  unless 
there  are  enough  mounted  men  to  act  as  cavalry  we  shall 
have  to  do  any  fighting  that  has  to  be  done  on  foot ;  the 
peasants  would  not  follow  a  mounted  officer  as  they  would 
one  who  placed  himself  in  front  of  them,  and  fought  as 
they  fought.  I  hope  that  later  on  we  may  manage  to  get 
them   to   adopt   some  sort  of  discipline,  but  I  have  great 


THE    FIRST    SUCCESSES  '  '  45 

doubts  about  it.  The  peasantry  of  La  Vendee  are  an  inde- 
pendent race ;  they  are  respectful  to  their  seigneurs  and  are 
always  ready  to  listen  to  their  advice,  but  it  is  respect  and 
not  obedience.  I  fancy  from  what  I  have  read  of  your 
Scottish  Highlanders  that  the  feeling  here  closely  resembles 
that  among  the  clans.  They  regard  their  seigneurs  as  their 
natural  heads,  and  would  probably  die  for  them  in  the  field, 
but  in  other  matters  each  goes  his  own  way,  and  the  chiefs 
know  better  than  to  strain  their  power  beyond  a  certain 
point.  As  you  see,  they  have  already  their  own  leaders  — 
Stofflet  the  gamekeeper,  Foret  the  wood-cutter,  and  Cathe- 
lineau  a  small  peddling  wool  merchant.  Doubtless  many 
men  of  rank  and  family  will  join  them,  and  will  naturally, 
from  their  superior  knowledge,  take  their  place  as  officers ; 
but  I  doubt  whether  they  will  displace  the  men  who  have 
from  the  beginning  taken  the  matter  in  hand.  I  am  glad 
that  it  should  be  so ;  the  peasants  understand  men  of  their 
own  class,  and  will,  I  believe,  follow  them  better  than  they 
would  men  above  them  in  rank.  They  will,  at  least,  have 
no  suspicion  of  them,  and  the  strength  of  the  insurrection 
lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is  a  peasant  rising  and  not  an  insur- 
rection stirred  up  by  men  of  family." 

At  ten  o'clock  they  arrived  at  Cathelineau's  camp.  Just 
as  they  reached  the  spot  they  encountered  Monsieur  Sapi- 
naud  de  la  Verrie.  He  was  riding  at  the  head  of  about  a 
hundred  peasants,  all  of  whom  were  armed  with  muskets. 
They  had  early  that  morning  attacked  the  little  town  of  Her- 
biers.  It  was  defended  by  two  companies  of  soldiers  with 
four  or  five  cannon,  and  the  Republicans  of  the  town  had 
ranged  themselves  with  the  Blues.  Nevertheless  the  peas- 
ants, led  by  their  commander  and  his  nephew,  had  fearlessly 
attacked  them,  and  with  a  loss  of  only  two  or  three  wounded, 
defeated   the   enemy  and  captured  the  place,  obtaining  a 


46  NO   SURRENDER 

sufficient  supply  of  muskets  to  arm  themselves.  As  Jean 
Martin  was  known  to  Monsieur  Sapinaud  they  saluted  each 
other  cordially. 

"  So  you  are  coming  willingly,  Monsieur  Martin.  There 
you  have  the  advantage  of  me,  for  these  good  fellows  made 
me  and  my  nephew  come  with  them  as  their  leaders,  and 
would  take  no  refusal.  However,  they  but  drew  us  into 
the  matter  a  few  days  earlier  than  we  had  intended,  for 
we  had  already  made  up  our  minds  to  join  the  movement." 

"  I  come  willingly  enough,  Monsieur  Sapinaud.  If  I  had 
remained  in  Nantes  I  should  have  been  guillotined  by  this 
time,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  when  I  left  there  that  I 
would,  on  the  first  opportunity,  do  a  litde  fighting  before  I 
was  put  an  end  to.  This  is  my  brother-in-law ;  he  has  been 
out  here  now  nearly  two  years,  and  has  seen  enough  of  the 
doings  of  the  murderers  at  Nantes  to  hate  them  as  much 
as  I  do." 

The  streets  of  the  little  village  which  Cathelineau  had 
made  his  head-quarters  were  thronged  with  men ;  through 
these  the  four  mounted  gentlemen  made  their  way  slowly 
until,  when  they  came  to  the  church,  they  saw  three  men 
standing  apart  from  the  others. 

"That  is  Cathelineau,  the  one  standing  in  the  middle,'' 
Leigh  said. 

"  We  have  come  to  place  ourselves  under  your  orders," 
Monsieur  Sapinaud  said  as  they  rode  up  to  him,  and  he 
named  himself  and  his  companions. 

"I  am  glad  indeed  to  see  you,  sirs,"  Cathelineau  said. 
"  You  are  the  first  gentlemen  who  have  joined  us  here, 
though  I  hear  that  farther  south  some  have  already  declared 
themselves ;  we  want  you  badly.  One  of  you  I  have  seen 
already,"  and  he  smiled  at  Leigh. 

"  I  told  you  that  you  would  hear  of  me,  young  sir,  and 


THE    FIRST   SUCCESSES  47 

you  see  I  have  kept  my  word.  These  with  me  are  Stofflet^ 
who,  as  you  may  have  heard,  recaptured  the  cannon  the 
Blues  took  at  Clisson ;  and  Foret,  who  had  the  honour  of 
striking  the  first  blow  at  St.  Florent." 

"  Your  names  are  all  widely  known  in  this  part,"  Mon- 
sieur Sapinaud  said  courteously.  "  Well,  sirs,  we  have  come 
to  fight  under  your  orders.  I  have  brought  a  hundred  men 
with  me,  and  we  have  already  done  something  on  our  own 
account,  for  we  last  night  captured  Herbiers,  which  was 
defended  by  two  companies  with  four  cannon.  We  have 
gained  a  sufficient  number  of  muskets  to  arm  all  our  party." 

**If  I  do  not  offer  to  give  up  the  leadership  to  you, 
Monsieur  de  la  Verrie,"  Cathelineau  said  gravely,  "  it  is  from 
no  desire  on  my  part  to  be  a  commander ;  but  I  am  widely 
known  to  the  peasantry  of  many  parishes  round  Pin,  and 
perhaps  because  I  understand  them  better  than  most,  they 
have  confidence  in  me,  and  would,  I  think  follow  me  rather 
than  a  gentleman  like  yourself  of  whom  they  know  but 
little." 

"  They  are  quite  right, "  Monsieur  Sapinaud  said ;  "  the' 
peasantry  commenced  this  war,  it  is  right  that  they  should 
choose  their  own  leaders.  You  and  your  two  companions 
have  already  their  confidence,  and  it  is  far  better  that  you 
should  be  their  leaders.  I  believe  all  other  gentlemen  who 
join  you  will  be  as  ready  as  we  are  to  follow  you,  and  I 
am  sure  that  the  only  rivalry  will  be  as  to  who  shall  most 
bravely  expose  himself  when  he  faces  the  enemy." 

*'  I  thank  you,  sir,"  Cathelineau  said.  "  I  believe  earn- 
estly that  in  many  respects  it  is  best  that  the  peasants 
should  have  their  own  leaders.  We  can  associate  ourselves 
with  their  feelings  better  than  the  gentry  could  do.  We 
shall  have  more  patience  with  their  failings.  You  would 
want  to  make  an  army  of  them,  we  know  that  this  cannot 


48  NO   SURRENDER 

be  done.  They  will  fight  and  die  as  bravely  as  men  could 
do,  but  I  know  that  they  will  never  submit  to  discipline. 
After  a  battle  they  will  want  to  hurry  off  to  their  homes. 
They  will  obey  the  order  to  fight,  but  that  is  the  only 
order  one  can  rely  upon  their  obeying.  We  are  on  the 
point  of  starting  for  Chollet ;  it  is  a  town  where  the  people 
are  devoted  to  the  cause  of  the  Convention.  At  the  last 
drawing  for  the  militia  they  killed,  without  any  pretext,  a 
number  of  young  men  who  had  come  unarmed  into  the 
town.  Many  inhabitants  of  adjoining  parishes  have  been 
seized  and  thrown  in  prison  charged  only  with  being  hostile 
to  the  Convention,  and  expressing  horror  at  the  murder 
of  the  king.  The  capture  will  produce  an  impression 
throughout  the  country.  They  have  three  or  four  hundred 
dragoons  there,  and  yesterday,  we  hear,  they  called  in  the 
National  Guard  from  the  villages  round,  though  scarce 
believing  that  we  should  venture  to  attack  them.  Your 
reinforcement  of  a  hundred  men  all  armed  with  muskets  will 
be  a  very  welcome  one,  for  they  will  hardly  suspect  that 
many  of  us  have  firearms.  However,  we  had  before  your 
arrival  three  hundred  who  have  so  armed  themselves  through 
captures  at  St.  Florent  and  Chemill^." 

He  now  ordered  the  bell  to  be  rung,  and,  as  soon  as  its 
notes  pealed  out,  started,  followed  at  once  by  the  crowd  in 
the  village,  without  any  sort  of  order  or  regularity.  Jean 
and  Leigh  continued  to  ride  with  Monsieur  de  la  Verrie  and 
his  nephew.  After  some  hours'  marching,  at  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  they  approached  Chollet.  On  the  way  they 
received  considerable  reinforcements  from  the  villages  they 
passed  through.  As  soon  as  they  approached  the  town 
they  saw  the  dragoons  pouring  out,  followed  by  three  or 
four  hundred  National  Guards.  The  Vendeans  now  fell 
into  some  sort  of  order.     A  short  council  of  war  was  held. 


THE   FIRST   SUCCESSES  4 'J 

It  was  arranged  that  Monsieur  de  la  Verrie  with  his  hun- 
dred musketeers,  and  Foret  with  as  many  more,  should 
advance  against  the  dragoons,  while  Cathelineau  and  Stofflet, 
with  a  hundred  musketeers  and  the  main  body  of  peasants 
with  their  pitchforks,  should  attack  the  National  Guards. 

The  dragoons  had  expected  that  the  mere  sight  of  them 
would  be  sufficient  to  send  the  peasants  flying,  and  they  were 
amazed  that  they  should  continue  to  advance.  As  soon  as 
they  were  within  easy  range  the  peasants  opened  fire.  At 
the  first  volley  the  colonel  of  the  dragoons  and  many  of  his 
men  fell.  Reloading,  the  peasants  advanced  at  a  run, 
poured  in  a  volley  at  close  quarters,  and  then  with  loud 
cheers  charged  the  dragoons.  These,  being  but  newly- 
raised  troops,  were  seized  with  a  panic,  turned,  and  galloped 
off  at  full  speed.  Astounded  at  the  defeat  of  the  cavalry, 
in  whom  they  had  confidently  trusted,  the  National  Guard 
at  once  lost  heart,  and,  as  with  loud  shouts  Cathelineau 
with  his  peasants  flung  themselves  upon  them,  they,  too, 
broke  and  fled  in  all  directions.  The  peasants  pursued  them 
for  a  league,  and  then  returned  exultant  to  Chollet. 

Here  the  leading  revolutionists  were  thrown  in  prison, 
but  with  the  exception  of  the  National  Guards  who  at- 
tempted resistance  after  reaching  the  town,  no  lives  were 
taken.  A  large  quantity  of  arms,  money,  and  ammunition 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  victors.  Scarcely  had  the  peasants 
gathered  in  Chollet,  than  the  news  arrived  that  the  National 
Guard  of  Saumur  were  marching  against  them,  and  Cathe- 
lineau requested  Monsieur  de  la  Verrie  and  Foret  with  their 
following  to  go  out  to  meet  them.  They  marched  away  at 
once,  and  met  the  enemy  at  Vihiers.  Unprepared  for  an 
attack  the  National  Guard  at  once  broke  and  fled,  throwing 
away  their  arms  and  abandoning  their  cannon.  Among 
these  was  one  taken  from  the  Chateau  de  Richelieu.     It 

4 


50  NO   SURRENDER 

had  been  given  by  Louis  XIII.  to  the  cardinal.  On  the 
engraving,  with  which  it  was  nearly  covered,  the  peasants 
thought  that  they  could  make  out  an  image  of  the  Virgin, 
and  so  called  it  by  her  name.  With  these  trophies  the 
party  returned  to  Chollet. 

The  next  day  being  Saturday  the  little  army  dispersed, 
the  peasants  making  their  way  to  their  homes  in  order  to 
spend  Easter  there,  while  Cathelineau  with  only  a  small 
body  remained  at  Chollet.  From  here  messengers  were 
sent  to  Messieurs  Bonchamp,  d'Elbee,  and  Dommaigne,  all 
officers  who  had  served  in  the  army,  but  had  retired  when 
the  revolution  broke  out.  Cathelineau  offered  to  share 
the  command  with  them,  and  entreated  them  to  give  their 
military  knowledge  and  experience  to  the  cause.  All 
assented.  Thus  the  force  had  the  advantage  from  this 
time  forward  of  being  commanded  by  men  who  knew  the 
business  of  war.  Leigh  had  started  for  home  as  soon  as 
the  National  Guards  of  Saumur  were  defeated,  Jean  Martin, 
at  Cathehneau's  request,  remaining  with  him  in  order  to 
join  some  other  gentlemen  who  had  that  day  arrived,  in 
calhng  upon  the  three  officers,  and  inviting  them  to  join 
Cathelineau  in  the  command. 

Leigh's  sister  ran  out  as  he  rode  up  to  the  house.  The 
news  of  the  capture  of  Chollet,  almost  without  loss,  had 
already  spread,  and  although  surprised  she  felt  no  alarm  at 
seeing  Leigh  alone.  "  I  hear  that  you  have  taken  Chollet 
and  defeated  the  dragoons  and  National  Guards." 

"Yes;  and  this  morning  we  put  to  flight  the  guards  of 
Saumur  without  the  loss  of  a  single  man.  I  don't  know 
what  it  may  come  to  presently,  but  just  now  it  can  hardly 
be  called  fighting.  The  sight  of  peasants  rushing  on  seems 
to  strike  these  heroes  with  a  panic  at  once,  and  they  are  off 
helter-skelter,  throwing  away  their  guns  and  ammunition." 


AT   THE   FIRST    VOLLEY   THE    COLONEL    OF   THE    DRAGOONS    AND 
MANY   OF   HIS   MEN   FELL." 


THE   FIRST   SUCCESSES  51 

"  Have  you  come  home  only  to  tell  me  the  news,  Leigh  ?  " 

"  I  have  come  home  because  at  present  our  army  has 
evaporated  into  thin  air.  To-morrow  being  Easter  Sunday, 
the  peasants  have  all  scattered  to  their  homes,  so  that  it 
was  of  no  use  my  staying  at  Chollet.  Cathelineau  is  there 
and  the  other  leaders,  among  them  Monsieur  de  la  Verrie, 
a  nephew  of  his,  Jean,  and  several  other  gentlemen,  who 
have  just  arrived  there.  They  are  going  as  a  sort  of  depu- 
tation to-morrow  to  Bonchamp,  d'Elbee,  and  another  officer 
whose  name  I  forget,  to  ask  them  to  join  Cathelineau  in 
the  command.  I  think  that  he  will  still  remain  as  leader, 
and  that  they  will  act  as  his  councillors  and  in  command  of 
columns." 

"  Then  your  impression  of  this  man  is  confirmed?  " 

"  More  than  confirmed.  Jean  said  this  mornmg  that  he 
was  a  born  leader  of  men.  While  all  round  him  there  is 
excitement  and  eonfusion,  he  is  as  calm  and  serene  as  if  he 
were  alone.  He  is  evidently  a  man  who  has  read  a  good 
deal  and  thought  a  good  deal,  and  I  can  quite  understand 
the  influence  he  has  gained  over  the  peasantry  in  his 
neighbourhood,  and  that  it  has  long  been  their  custom  to 
refer  all  disputes  to  him.  Stofflet  is  a  different  sort  of 
man.  He  is  tall  and  powerful  in  frame,  stern  and  almost 
morose  in  manner;  he  has  been  sixteen  years  a  soldier,  and 
was,  I  hear,  distinguished  for  his  bravery." 

"AndFoi^t?" 

"  He  is  an  active  young  woodman,  evidently  a  determined 
fellow,  and  as  he  was  the  first  to  lead  the  peasants  against 
the  Blues  he  is  sure  to  have  a  following.  They  are  three 
very  different  characters,  but  all  of  them  well  fitted  to  act 
as  peasant  leaders." 

"  And  will  Jean  be  a  leader?  " 

"Not   a  leader,    Patsey,  that   is   to  say  certainly  not  a 


52  NO   SURRENDER 

general;  he  does  not  want  it  himself;  but  he  will  no  doubt 
lead  the  peasants  on  the  estate,  and  perhaps  those  in  the 
neighbourhood.  You  know  that  he  would  not  have  the 
church  bell  rung  when  he  started,  because  he  did  not  wish 
the  tenants  to  join  until  h§  had  seen  the  result  of  the  first 
fight,  but  when  he  comes  home  he  will  summon  those  who 
like  to  go  with  him." 

"  Yes,  I  have  had  to  explain  that  over  and  over  again. 
Yesterday  and  to-day  almost  all  the  men  have  been  up 
here  to  ask  why  Jean  did  not  take  them.  I  told  them 
that  that  was  one  reason,  and  another  was  that  had  they 
started  on  foot  when  you  did,  they  would  not  have  arrived 
in  time  to  take  part  in  the  fight  at  Chollet." 

The  conversation,  begun  as  Leigh  dismounted,  had  been 
continued  in  the  house,  the  groom  having  taken  the  horse 
round  to  the  stable. 

"  So  the  peasants  fought  well,  Leigh  ?  " 

"They  would  have  fought  well  if  the  Blues  had  given 
them  a  chance,  but  these  would  not  stop  till  they  came 
up  to  them ;  if  they  had  done  so,  I  am  convinced  that  the 
peasants  would  have  beaten  them.  There  was  no  mis- 
taking the  way  they  rushed  forward,  and  upon  my  word, 
I  am  not  surprised  that  the  enemy  gave  way  ;  although  well 
armed  and  not  far  inferior  in  numbers,  they  would  have  had 
no  chance  with  them." 

"  And  did  you  rush  forward,  Leigh  ?  " 

"We  were  with  the  party  that  attacked  the  cavalry. 
Jean  and  I  fired  our  rifles  twice,  and  after  that  we  only 
saw  the  backs  of  the  cavalry.  If  they  had  been  well  drilled 
troops  they  ought  to  have  scattered  us  like  sheep,  for  every- 
thing must  have  gone  down  before  them  had  they  charged. 
There  was  no  sort  of  order  among  us ;  the  men  were  not 
formed   into   companies;  there  was  no   attempt   to  direct 


THE   FIRST  SUCCESSES  53 

them.  Each  simply  joined  the  leader  he  fancied,  and 
when  the  word  was  given,  charged  forward  at  the  top  of 
his  speed.  It  is  all  very  well  against  the  National  Guards 
and  these  young  troops,  but  as  Jean  said,  it  would  be  a 
different  affair  altogether  if  we  were  to  meet  trained  soldiers. 
But  the  peasants  seem  to  be  quick,  and  I  expect  they  will 
adopt  tactics  better  suited  to  the  country  when  they  come 
to  fighting  in  these  lanes  and  woods.  You  see,  so  far  a 
very  small  proportion  have  been  armed  with  guns,  and 
their  only  chance  was  to  rush  at  once  to  close  quarters ; 
but  we  have  captured  so  many  muskets  at  Chollet  and 
Vihiers,  that  in  future  a  considerable  proportion  of  the 
peasants  will  have  guns,  and  when  they  once  learn  to  use 
the  hedges,  they  will  be  just  as  good  as  trained  troops." 

"  Then  I  suppose  Jean  is  more  hopeful  about  the  future 
than  he  was?" 

"  I  don't  say  that,  Patsey.  He  thinks  that  we  shall  make 
a  hard  fight  of  it,  but  that  the  end  must  depend  upon 
whether  the  people  in  Paris,  rather  than  keep  fifty  thousand 
men  engaged  in  a  desperate  conflict  here  when  they  are 
badly  wanted  on  the  frontier,  decide  to  suspend  the  con- 
scription in  La  Vendee,  and  to  leave  us  to  ourselves. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  that  would  be  their  best  plan. 
But  as  they  care  nothing  for  human  life,  even  if  it  cost 
them  a  hundred  thousand  men  to  crush  us,  they  are  likely 
to  raise  any  number  of  troops  and  send  them  against  us 
rather  than  allow  their  authority  to  be  set  at  defiance.  Do 
you  know,  Patsey,  whe.n  1  used  to  read  about  Guy  Fawkes 
wanting  to  blow  up  the  Houses  of  Parliament,  I  thought 
that  he  must  be  a  villain  indeed  to  try  to  destroy  so  many 
lives ;  but  I  have  changed  my  opinion  now,  for  if  I  had 
a  chance  I  would  certainly  blow  up  the  place  where  the 
Convention  meets,  and  destroy  every  soul  within  its  walls, 


54  NO   SURRENDER 

including  the  spectators  who  fill  the  galleries  and  howl  fo: 
blood." 

"  Well,  you  see,  Leigh,  as  Guy  Fawkes  and  the  othei 
conspirators  failed  in  their  attempt,  I  am  afraid  there  is 
very  small  chance  of  your  being  able  to  carry  out  the  plan 
more  successfully." 

"  I  am  afraid  there  is  not,"  Leigh  said  regretfully.  "  I 
sliould  never  be  able  to  dig  a  way  into  the  vaults,  and 
certainly  I  should  not  be  able  to  get  enough  powder  to 
blow  a  big  building  up  if  I  could.  No ;  I  was  only  saying 
that  if  Guy  Fawkes  hated  the  Parliament  as  much  as  I  hate 
the  Tonvention,  there  is  some  excuse  to  be  made  for  him. 
Now,  Patsey,  I  am  as  hungry  as  a  hunter." 

"  I  have  a  good  supper  ready  for  you,"  she  said.  "  I 
thought  it  was  quite  possible  that  you  and  Jean  would 
both  come  home  this  evening,  for  I  felt  sure  that  most 
of  the  peasants  would  be  coming  back  if  possible  for  Easter 
Sunday,  and  I  had  no  doubt  that  if  you  did  come  you 
you  would  both  be  hungry." 

"  Have  you  any  news  from  other  districts  ?  "  he  asked* 
after  he  had  finished  his  supper. 

"There  is  a  report  that  Captain  Charette  has  gathered 
nearly  twenty  thousand  peasants  in  lower  Poitou,  and  that 
he  has  already  gained  a  success  over  the  Blues.  There  are 
reports,  too,  of  risings  in  Brittany." 

**  There  is  no  doubt  that  things  are  going  on  well  at  present, 
Patsey.  You  see,  we  are  fighting  on  our  own  ground,  and 
fifty  thousand  men  can  be  called  to  arms  in  the  course 
of  a  few  hours  by  the  ringing  of  the  church  bells.  We 
have  no  baggage,  no  waggons,  no  train  of  provisions ;  we 
are  ready  to  fight  at  once.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Blues 
have  been  taken  completely  by  surprise  ;  they  have  no  large 
force  nearer  than  the  frontier,  or  at  any  rate  nearer  than 


THE    FIRST   SUCCESSES  55 

Paris,  and  it  will  be  weeks  before  they  can  gather  an  army 
such  as  even  they  must  see  will  be  required  for  the  conquest 
of  La  Vendue.  Up  to  that  time  it  can  be  only  a  war 
of  skirmishes,  unless  our  leaders  can  persuade  the  peasants 
to  march  against  Paris,  and  that  I  fear  they  will  never  be 
able  to  do.  When  the  enemy  are  really  ready,  the  fighting 
will  be  desperate.  'Tis  true  that  the  Vend^ans  have  a 
good  cause  —  they  fight  for  their  religion  and  their  freedom  ; 
while  the  enemy  will  fight  only  because  they  are  ordered  to 
do  so.  There  is  another  thing,  —  every  victory  we  win  will 
give  us  more  arms,  ammunition,  and  cannon ;  while  a 
defeat  will  mean  simply  that  the  peasants  will  scatter  to 
their  homes  and  be  ready  to  answer  the  next  call  for  their 
services.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  Blues  are  defeated, 
they  will  lose  so  heavily  both  in  arms  and  stores,  and  will 
suffer  such  loss  of  life  from  their  ignorance  of  our  roads  and 
lanes,  that  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  they  will  again  be 
able  to  advance  against  us." 

The  next  morning  after  the  service  at  the  church  was 
over,  the  peasants  came  down  in  numbers  to  the  chateau 
to  hear  from  Leigh  a  full  account  of  the  fighting  at  Chollet 
and  Vihiers,  a  report  of  the  latter  event  having  arrived  that 
morning.  There  were  exclamations  of  lively  pleasure  at  the 
recital,  mingled  with  regret  that  they  had  not  borne  their 
share  in  the  fighting. 

"You  will  have  plenty  of  opportunities,'^  Leigh  said. 
"  Monsieur  Martin  has  told  me  that  when  he  next  leaves 
home  all  who  are  willing  to  do  so  can  go  with  him.  But  it 
may  be  some  little  time  before  anything  of  importance  takes 
place,  and  as  at  present  what  fighting  there  is  is  a  consider- 
able distance  away,  he  thinks  it  best  that  you  should  reserve 
yourselves  for  some  great  occasion ;  unless,  indeed,  the 
Blues  endeavour  to  penetrate  the  Bocage,  when,  I  have  no 


56  NO    SURRENDER 

doubt,  you  will  know  how  to  deal  with  them  when  they  are 
entangled  in  your  lanes  and  woods." 

"  We  will  go,  every  man  of  us  ! "  one  of  the  peasants 
shouted,  and  the  cry  was  re-echoed  with  enthusiasm  by  the 
whole  of  the  men.  It  was  nearly  an  hour  before  Leigh  and 
his  sister  were  able  to  withdraw  from  the  crowd  and  make 
their  way  homeward. 

"  It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  men  so  ready  and  eager  to 
fight  can  be  beaten,"  she  said.  "  Did  you  notice,  too,  that 
their  wives  all  looked  on  approvingly?  I  believe  that 
even  if  any  of  the  men  wished  to  stay  away  they  would 
be  hounded  to  the  front  by  the  women.  I  think  that  with 
them  it  would  be  regarded  as  a  war  for  their  religion, 
while  with  the  men  it  is  the  conscription  that  has  chiefly 
driven  them  to  take  up  arms." 


CHAPTER  IV 

CATHELINEAU'S    SCOUTS 

FOR  some  days  nothing  happened.  The  insurrection 
spread  like  wildfire  in  Poitou  and  Anjou,  and  every- 
where the  peasants  were  successful,  the  authorities,  soldiers, 
and  gendarmes  for  the  most  part  flying  without  waiting  for 
an  attack.  The  news  that  all  La  Vendue  was  in  insurrec- 
tion astonished  and  infuriated  the  Convention,  which  at 
once  took  steps  to  suppress  it.  On  the  second  of  April 
a  military  commission  was  appointed,  with  power  to  exe- 
cute all  peasants  taken  with  arms  in  their  hands,  and  all 
who  should  be  denounced  as  suspicious  persons.  General 
Berruyer  was  sent  down  to  take  the  command.  The  large 
army  that  had  been  raised,  principally  from  the  mob  of  Paris 


CATHELINEAU'S   SCOUTS  67 

for  the  defence  of  that  city,  marched  down,  and  Berruyer  at 
the  head  of  this  force  entered  the  Bocage  on  the  tenth  of 
April. 

The  time  had  passed  quietly  at  the  chateau.  The  peasants 
had  dispersed  at  once,  and  except  that  the  principal  leaders 
and  a  small  body  of  men  remained  together  watching  the 
course  of  events,  all  was  as  quiet  as  if  profound  peace 
reigned.  Jean  Martin  had  returned  home.  Two  days  after 
arriving  he  had  called  all  the  tenants  on  the  estate  together, 
and  had  endeavoured  to  rouse  them  to  the  necessity  of 
acquiring  a  certain  amount  of  discipline.  He  had  brought 
with  him  a  waggon-load  of  muskets  and  ammunition,  which 
had  been  discovered  at  Chollet  after  the  main  bulk  of  the 
peasants  had  departed,  and  Cathelineau  had  allowed  him  to 
carry  them  off,  in  order  that  the  peasantry  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  chateau  should  be  provided  with  a  proportion  of 
guns  when  the  day  of  action  arrived.  The  peasants  gladly 
received  the  firearms,  but  could  not  be  persuaded  to  en- 
deavour to  fight  in  any  sort  of  order. 

"  They  did  not  do  it  at  Chollet  or  elsewhere,"  they  ex- 
claimed, "  and  yet  they  beat  the  Blues  easily.  What  good 
did  discipline  do  to  the  enemy?  None.  Why,  then,  should 
we  bother  ourselves  about  it?  When  the  enemy  comes 
we  will  rush  upon  them  when  they  are  tangled  in  our 
thickets." 

Leigh  was  somewhat  more  successful.  The  fact  that  he 
had  fought  at  Chollet,  and  was  their  seigneur's  brother-in- 
law,  had  established  a  position  for  him  in  the  eyes  of  peasants 
of  his  own  age,  and  as  he  went  from  house  to  house  talking 
with  them,  he  succeeded  in  getting  some  twenty  boys  to 
agree  to  follow  him.  He  had  been  nominated  an  officer  by 
the  three  generals,  who  had  picked  out,  without  reference 
to  rank  or  age,  those  who  they  thought  would,  either  from 


58  NO   SURRENDER 

position,  energy,  or  determination,  fill  the  posts  well.  Thus 
one  company  was  commanded  by  a  noble,  the  next  by  a 
peasant,  and  each  would  on  the  day  of  battle  fight  equally 
well.  Leigh's  arguments  were  such  as  were  suited  to  the 
lads  he  addressed. 

"  You  see,  if  you  go  with  the  bands  of  men  you  will  be 
lost  in  the  crowd.  The  men  will  rush  forward  in  front, 
you  will  all  be  in  the  rear.  You  want  to  serve  your  country. 
Well,  you  can  serve  it  much  better  by  watching  the  move- 
ments of  the  enemy  and  carrying  word  of  it  to  the  com- 
mander. Then  sometimes  we  can  have  a  little  enterprise  of 
our  own  —  cut  off  a  post  of  the  enemy,  or  manage  to  decoy 
them  into  lanes  where  we  know  their  guns  will  stick  fast. 
It  is  not  size  and  strength  that  are  most  necessary  in  war, 
but  quickness,  alertness,  and  watchfulness.  You  know  that 
already  the  leaders  have  found  that  nothing  can  persuade 
the  men  to  keep  guard  or  to  carry  out  outpost  duty.  If 
we  do  this,  even  if  we  do  nothing  else,  we  shall  be  serving 
the  cause  much  better  than  if  we  were  to  join  in  a  general 
rush  upon  the  enemy." 

"But  we  shall  have  no  muskets  with  us,"  one  of  the 
boys  objected. 

"  Nor  would  you  want  them.  You  would  have  to  move 
about  quickly,  and  guns  would  be  terribly  inconvenient  if 
you  had  to  push  your  way  through  a  hedge  or  a  close 
thicket.  And  besides,  if  you  had  guns  they  would  not  be  of 
much  use  to  you,  for  none  of  you  are  accustomed  to  their 
use,  and  it  needs  a  great  deal  of  training  to  learn  to  shoot 
straight.  I  am  quite  sure  that  if  I  were  to  march  with 
twenty  of  you  to  Cathelineau's  head-quarters,  and  were  to 
say  to  him,  *  We  have  come  here,  sir,  to  act  as  scouts  for 
you,  to  bring  you  in  news  of  the  movements  of  the  enemy, 
and  to   do  anything  in  our  power  to   prevent  you   from 


CATHELINEAU'S   SCOUTS  59 

being  surprised,'  he  would  be  more  pleased  than  if  I  had 
brought  him  a  hundred  men  armed  with  muskets." 

When  twenty  had  expressed  their  willingness  to  go, 
Leigh  asked  Jean,  who  had  warmly  entered  into  the  plan, 
to  speak  to  the  fathers  of  the  lads  and  get  them  to  consent 
to  their  going  with  him. 

He  accordingly  called  them  together  for  that  purpose. 

"But  do  you  mean  that  they  will  be  away  altogether, 
master?" 

"  Yes,  while  this  goes  on." 

"  But  we  shall  lose  their  labour  in  the  fields  ?  '* 

"  There  will  not  be  much  labour  in  the  fields  till  this  is 
over,  and  by  having  scouts  watching  the  enemy  you  will 
get  early  news  of  their  coming  and  have  time  to  drive  off 
your  beasts  before  they  arrive." 

"  But  how  will  they  live  ?  " 

"  When  they  are  in  this  neighbourhood  one  or  two  can 
come  back  and  fetch  bread ;  if  they  are  too  far  off  for  that, 
my  brother  will  buy  bread  for  them.  In  cases  where  they 
cannot  well  be  spared,  I  will  remit  a  portion  of  your  dues 
as  long  as  they  are  away ;  but  this  will  not  be  for  long,  for 
I  can  see  that  ere  many  weeks  are  past  the  Blues  will  be 
swarming  round  in  such  numbers  that  there  will  be  little 
time  for  work  on  your  land,  and  you  will  all  have  to 
make  great  sacrifices.  You  must  remember  that  the  less 
there  is  in  your  barns  the  more  difficult  it  will  be  for  an 
enemy  to  invade  you,  for  if  they  can  find  nothing  here 
they  will  have  to  bring  everything  with  them,  and  every 
waggon  will  add  to  their  difficulties.  My  brother  tells  me 
that  one  of  the  things  he  means  to  do  is  to  break  up  the 
roads  when  he  finds  out  by  which  line  the  Blues  are  ad- 
vancing, and  for  that  purpose  I  shall  serve  out  from  my 
store  either  a  pick  or  an  axe  to  each  of  the  band." 


60  NO   SURRENDER 

At  last  all  difficulties  were  got  over,  and  twenty  lads 
were  enrolled.  Another  three  weeks  passed ;  the  peasants 
of  Poitou  and  Anjou  thought  but  little  of  the  storm  that 
was  gathering  round  them.  General  Berruyer  had  arrived 
from  Paris  with  his  army.  A  portion  of  the  army  from  Brest 
moved  down  to  Nantes,  and  were  in  concert  with  the  army 
of  La  Rochelle  to  sweep  that  part  of  La  Vendue  bordering 
on  the  coast.  General  Canclaus  was  at  Nantes  with  two 
thousand  troops.  General  Dayat  was  sent  to  Niort  with 
six  thousand  men,  and  was  to  defend  the  line  between 
Sables  and  St.  Gilles.  Bressuire  was  occupied  by  General 
Quetineau  with  three  thousand  men.  Leigonyer,  with 
from  four  to  five  thousand  men,  occupied  Vihiers,  while 
St  Lambert  was  held  by  Ladouce  with  two  thousand  five 
hundred.  The  right  bank  of  the  Loire  between  Nantes  and 
Angers  was  held  by  fifteen  hundred  men  of  the  National 
Guard.  Thus  that  part  of  upper  Poitou  where  the  rising 
had  been  most  successful  was  surrounded  by  a  cordon  of 
troops  which  the  Convention  hoped,  and  believed,  would 
easily  stamp  out  the  insurrection  and  take  a  terrible 
vengeance  for  what  had  passed. 

When  the  storm  would  burst  none  knew,  but  Jean  one 
day  said  to  Leigh  that  it  was  certain  that  it  must  come 
soon,  and  that  if  he  was  still  resolved  to  carry  out  his  plan 
it  was  time  that  he  set  out. 

"  I  am  quite  ready  to  carry  out  my  plans,  Jean,  as  you 
know ;  but  dangers  seem  to  threaten  from  so  many  quarters 
that  I  don't  like  going  away  from  home.  While  my 
company  are  scattered  near  Chollet,  for  instance^  the 
Blues  may  be  burning  down  your  chateau." 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  much  danger  of  that,  Leigh. 
It  is  quite  certain  that  as  soon  as  these  divisions  begin 
to    move    they    will    have    their     hands    full.     We    may 


CATHELINEAU'S   SCOUTS  61 

hope  that  in  some  cases  they  will  be  defeated ;  in  others 
they  may  drive  off  the  peasants  and  march  to  the  town 
that  they  intend  to  occupy,  but  they  will  only  hold  the 
ground  they  stand  upon,  they  will  not  be  able  to  send  out 
detached  parties  to  attack  chateaux  or  destroy  villages. 
For  the  present  I  have  no  fear  whatever  of  their  coming 
here ;  we  are  well  away  from  any  of  the  roads  that  they  are 
likely  to  march  by.  I  don't  say  that  any  of  the  roads  are 
good,  but  they  will  assuredly  keep  on  the  principal  lines 
and  not  venture  to  entangle  themselves  in  our  country  lanes. 
There  are  no  villages  of  any  size  within  miles  of  us,  and  this 
is  one  of  the  most  thickly  wooded  parts  of  the  Bocage  — 
which,  as  you  know,  means  the  thicket  —  therefore  I  shall, 
when  the  time  comes,  leave  your  sister  without  uneasiness. 
We  may  be  quite  sure  that  if,  contrary  to  my  anticipation, 
any  column  should  try  to  make  its  way  through  this  neigh- 
bourhood, it  would  be  hotly  opposed,  and  she  will  have 
ample  time  to  take  to  the  woods,  where  she  and  the 
child  will  find  shelter  in  any  of  the  foresters'  cottages. 

"  She  is  going  to  have  peasant  dresses  made  for  her  and 
Marthe.  She  will,  of  course,  drive  as  we  intended,  and  the 
two  men  will  take  the  horse  and  vehicle  to  some  place  in 
the  woods  at  a  considerable  distance  from  here,  and  keep  it 
there  until  we  join  her  and  carry  out  our  original  plan  of 
making  for  the  coast.  Directly  you  are  gone  I  shall  make  it 
my  business  to  find  out  the  most  out-of-the-way  spot  among 
the  woods,  and  ride  over  and  make  an  arrangement  with 
some  woodman  with  a  wife  and  family  living  there  to 
receive  her  if  necessary,  and  I  will  let  you  know  the  spot 
fixed  on  and  give  you  directions  how  to  find  it." 

In  order  to  add  to  Leigh's  influence  and  authority, 
Martin  persuaded  the  village  cure,  who  was  a  man  of  much 
intelligence  and  perceived  that  real  good  might  be  done  by 


62  NO   SURRENDER 

this  party  of  lads,  to  have  a  farewell  service  in  the  church. 
Accordingly,  on  the  morning  on  which  they  were  to  start, 
all  attended  the  church,  which  was  filled  by  their  friends, 
and  here  he  addressed  the  boys,  telling  them  that  the  service 
in  which  they  were  about  to  engage  was  one  that  would  be 
of  great  importance  to  their  country,  and  that  it  would 
demand  all  their  energy  and  strength.  He  then  asked 
them  to  take  an  oath  to  carry  out  all  orders  they  might 
receive  from  their  leader,  the  seigneur's  brother,  who  would 
himself  share  in  their  work  and  the  many  hardships  they 
might  have  to  undergo. 

"Here,"  he  said,  "is  a  gentleman  who  is  by  birth  a 
foreigner,  but  who  has  come  to  love  the  land  that  his  sister 
adopted  as  her  own,  and  to  hate  its  enemies,  these  godless 
murderers  of  women  and  children,  these  executioners  of 
their  king,  these  enemies  of  the  church,  so  much  that  he  is 
ready  to  leave  his  home  and  all  his  comforts  and  to  risk  his 
life  in  its  cause.  Remember  that  you  have  voluntarily 
joined  him  and  accepted  him  as  your  leader.  The  work 
once  begun  there  must  be  no  drawing  back ;  there  is  not  a 
man  in  La  Vendee  who  is  not  prepared  to  give  his  life  if 
need  be  to  the  cause,  and  you  in  your  way  can  do  as  much 
or  more." 

He  then  administered  an  oath  to  each  lad,  and,  as  had 
been  arranged,  Leigh  also  took  an  oath  to  care  for  them  in 
every  respect  and  to  share  their  risks  and  dangers.  Then 
the  cur^  pronounced  his  blessing  upon  them  and  the  service 
ended.  Very  greatly  impressed  with  what  had  taken  place, 
the  little  band  marched  out  from  the  church  surrounded 
by  their  friends.  Jean  Martin  then  presented  hatchets  or 
light  picks  to  each,  and  a  waist-belt  in  which  the  tools 
should  be  carried.  As  a  rule  the  peasants  carried  leathern 
belts  over  the  shoulders,  in  which  a  sword,  hatchet,  or  other 


CATHELINEAU'S   SCOUTS  63 

weapon  was  slung ;  but  Jean  thought  the  waist-belt  would 
be  much  more  convenient  for  getting  rapidly  through 
hedges  or  thickets,  and  it  had  also  the  advantage  that  a 
long  knife,  constituting  in  itself  a  formidable  weapon, 
could  also  be  carried  in  it. 

Patsey  presented  them  each  with  a  hat,  of  which  a 
supply  had  been  obtained  from  St.  Florent.  These  were 
of  the  kind  ordinarily  worn  by  the  peasants,  in  shape  like 
the  modern  broad-brimmed  wide-awake,  but  made  of  much 
stiffer  material.  She  had  bought  these  to  give  a  certain 
uniformity  to  the  band,  of  whom  some  already  wore  hats 
of  this  kind,  others  long  knitted  stocking  caps,  while  others 
again  were  bareheaded.  She  added  a  piece  of  green  ribbon 
round  each  hat ;  Leigh  objected  to  this  on  the  ground  that 
they  might  sometimes  have  to  enter  towns,  and  that  any 
badge  of  this  sort  would  be  speedily  noticed ;  but,  as  she 
said,  they  would  only  have  to  take  them  off  when  engaged 
in  such  service.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  after  leaving  the 
church  they  marched  away  amid  the  acclamations  of  their 
friends,  each  boy  feeling  a  sensation  of  pride  in  the  work 
that  he  had  undertaken  and  in  the  ceremony  of  which  he 
had  been  the  centre. 

"  Now,  lads,"  Leigh  said  as  soon  as  they  were  fairly  away 
from  the  village,  "  instead  of  walking  along  as  a  loose  body, 
you  had  better  form  four  abreast  and  endeavour  to  keep 
step.  It  is  no  more  difficult  to  walk  that  way  than  in  a 
clump ;  and,  indeed,  by  keeping  step  it  makes  the  walking 
easy,  and  it  has  the  advantage  that  you  can  act  much  more 
quickly.  If  we  heard  an  enemy  approaching,  and  I  gave 
the  order,  *  Ten  go  to  the  right  and  ten  go  to  the  left ! '  you 
would  not  know  which  were  to  go.  Now  each  four  of  you 
will  form  a  section,  and  the  order  into  which  you  fall  now 
you  will  always  observe.     Then  if  I  say,  '  First  two  sections 


64  NO    SURRENDER 

to  the  right,  the  other  three  sections  to  the  left !  *  every  one 
of  you  knows  what  to  do,  instead  of  having  to  wait  until 
I  mention  all  your  names.  This  is  nearly  all  the  drill  you 
will  have  to  learn.  You  can  choose  your  places  now,  but 
afterwards  you  will  have  to  keep  to  them,  so  those  of  you 
who  are  brothers  and  special  friends  will  naturally  fall  in 
next  to  each  other." 

In  a  minute  or  two  the  arrangements  were  made,  and  the 
party  proceeded  four  abreast,  with  Leigh  marching  at  their 
head.  For  the  first  hour  or  so  he  had  some  difficulty  in 
getting  them  to  keep  step,  but  they  presently  fell  into  it, 
time  being  kept  by  breaking  into  one  of  the  canticles  of  the 
church.  After  a  long  day's  march  they  arrived  at  the 
village  which  Cathelineau  now  occupied  as  his  head -quarters, 
as  it  had  been  necessary,  in  view  of  the  threatening  circle 
of  the  various  columns  of  the  enemy,  to  remove  the  head- 
quarters from  ChoUet  to  a  central  point,  from  which  he 
could  advance  at  once  against  whichever  of  these  columns 
might  first  move  forward  into  the  heart  of  the  country. 
The  lads  all  straightened  themselves  up  as  they  marched 
through  the  streets,  the  unwonted  spectacle  of  twenty 
peasant  lads  marching  in  order  exciting  considerable  sur- 
prise. CatheUneau  was  standing  at  the  door  of  the  house 
he  occupied,  conversing  with  MM.  Bonchamp  and  d'Elb^e. 

"  Ah,  Monsieur  Stansfield,"  he  said,  "  is  it  you  ?  "  as  Leigh 
halted  his  party  and  raised  his  hat.  "  You  are  the  most 
military-looking  party  I  have  yet  seen.  They  are  young, 
but  none  the  worse  for  that." 

"There  is  nothing  military  about  them  except  that  they 
march  four  abreast,"  he  said  with  a  smile,  "but  for  the 
work  we  have  come  to  do  drill  will  not  be  necessary.  I 
have  raised  this  band  on  Jean  Martin's  estate,  sir,  and  with 
your  permission  I  propose  to  call  them  '  Cathelineau's  scouts.* 


CATHELINEAU'S    SCOUTS  65 

It  seemed  to  my  brother  and  myself  that  you  sorely  need 
scouts  to  inform  you  of  the  movements  of  the  enemy, 
the  roads  by  which  they  are  approaching,  their  force  and 
order.  I  have  therefore  raised  this  little  body  of  lads  of 
my  own  age.  They  will  remain  with  me  permanently  as 
long  as  the  occasion  needs.  They  will  go  on  any  special 
mission  with  which  you  may  charge  them,  and  will  at  other 
times  watch  all  the  roads  by  which  an  enemy  would  be 
likely  to  advance." 

"If  they  will  do  that,  Monsieur  Stansfield,  they  will  be 
valuable  indeed ;  that  is  just  what  I  cannot  get  the  peasants 
to  do.  When  it  comes  to  fighting  they  will  obey  orders, 
but  at  all  other  times  they  regard  themselves  as  their  own 
masters,  and  neither  entreaties  nor  the  offer  of  pay  suffices 
to  persuade  them  to  undertake  such  work  as  you  are  pro- 
posing to  carry  out,  consequently  it  is  only  by  chance  that 
we  obtain  any  news  of  the  enemy's  movements.  I  wish  we 
had  fifty  such  parties." 

"They  would  be  valuable  indeed,"  Monsieur  d'Elbee 
said.  "  The  obstinacy  of  the  peasantry  is  maddening.  How 
do  you  propose  to  feed  your  men?" 

"  When  we  are  within  reach  of  their  homes,  two  will  go 
back  to  fetch  bread  for  the  whole ;  when  we  are  too  far 
away,  I  shall  buy  it  in  one  of  the  villages." 

"  When  you  are  within  reach  of  my  head-quarters,  wher- 
ever that  may  be,  you  have  only  to  send  in  and  they  shall 
have  the  loaves  served  out  to  them  the  same  as  the  band 
who  remain  here.  We  are  not  short  of  money,  thanks  to 
the  captures  we  have  made.  I  see  that  none  of  your  band 
have  firearms." 

"  No,  sir ;  Jean  Martin  would  have  let  me  have  some  of 
the  muskets  he  brought  from  here,  but  it  seemed  to  me 
that  they  would  be  an  encumbrance.     We  may  have  to 

S 


66  NO   SURRENDER 

trust  to  our  swiftness  of  foot  to  escape,  and  at  any  rate  we 
shall  want  to  carry  messages  to  you  as  quickly  as  possible. 
The  weight  of  a  gun  and  ammunition  would  make  a  good 
deal  of  difference,  and  would,  moreover,  be  in  our  way  in 
getting  through  the  woods  and  hedges." 

"Eut  for  all  that,  you  ought  to  have  some  defence," 
Cathelineau  said  ;  "  and  if  you  came  upon  a  patrol  of  cavalry, 
though  only  three  or  four  in  number,  you  would  be  in  a 
bad  case  with  only  those  knives  to  defend  yourselves.  Do 
you  know  whether  there  are  any  pistols  in  the  storehouse, 
Monsieur  Bonchamp?" 

"  Yes,  there  are  some  that  were  picked  up  from  the 
cavalrymen  we  killed ;  they  have  not  been  given  out  yet. " 

"  Then  I  think  we  had  better  serve  out  a  pistol,  with  a 
score  of  cartridges,  to  each  of  these  lads.  If  you  let  them 
fire  three  or  four  rounds  at  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  or  some 
mark  of  that  sort.  Monsieur  Stansfield,  they  will  get  to 
know  something  about  the  use  of  the  weapons." 

"Thank  you,  sir;  that  would  be  excellent,  and  would 
certainly  enable  us  to  face  a  small  party  of  the  enemy  if 
we  happen  to  encounter  them." 

**  Please  form  the  boys  up  two  deep,"  Cathelineau  said, 
"I  will  say  a  word  or  two  to  them." 

The  manoeuvre  was  not  executed  in  military  style,  but 
the  boys  were  presently  arranged  in  order. 

"  I  congratulate  you,  lads,"  Cathelineau  went  on,  "  in 
having  devoted  yourselves  to  your  country,  and  that  in  a 
direction  that  will  be  most  useful.  I  trust  that  you  will 
strictly  obey  the  orders  of  your  commander,  and  will  re- 
member that  you  will  be  of  far  more  use  in  carrying  them 
out  than  in  merely  helping  to  swell  the  number  in  a  pitched 
battle.  I  have  every  confidence  in  Monsieur  Stansfield.  He 
has  set  a  noble  example  to  the  youths  of  this  country  in  thus 


CATHELINEAU'S   SCOUTS  67 

undertaking  arduous  and  fatiguing  work  which  is  not  with- 
out its  dangers.  I  was  glad  to  see  that  you  marched  in 
here  in  order.  I  hope  that  you  will  go  a  little  further  and 
learn  to  form  line  quickly,  and  to  gather  at  his  call.  These 
things  may  seem  to  you  to  make  very  little  difference,  but 
in  fact  will  make  a  great  deal.  You  saw  that  you  were  at 
least  a  couple  of  minutes  forming  in  line  just  now.  Sup- 
posing the  enemy's  cavalry  had  been  charging  down  upon 
you,  that  two  minutes  lost  would  have  made  all  the  differ- 
ence between  your  receiving  them  in  order,  or  being  in 
helpless  confusion  when  they  came  up.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  one  of  my  generals  here  has  among  his  followers  some- 
one who  served  in  the  army,  and  who  will  teach  you 
within  the  course  of  an  hour,  if  you  pay  attention  to 
his  instructions,  how  to  form  into  line  and  back  again 
into  fours." 

"  I  will  give  them  an  hour  myself,"  Monsieur  Bonchamp 
said.  "  I  have  nothing  particular  to  do,  and  should  be  glad 
to  instruct  young  fellows  who  are  so  willing  and  well- 
disposed.  Are  you  too  tired  to  drill  now?  You  have 
had  a  long  march." 

A  general  negative  was  the  reply. 

"Well,  then,  march  to  the  open  space  just  outside  the 
town  and  we  will  begin  at  once." 

Feeling  very  proud  of  the  honour  of  being  drilled  by  a 
general,  the  boys  fell  into  their  formation  and  followed 
Monsieur  Bonchamp  and  Leigh.  They  were  at  a  loss  at 
first  to  comprehend  the  instructions  given  them,  but  by  the 
end  of  an  hour  they  had  fairly  mastered  the  very  simple 
movement. 

"That  will  do,"  Monsieur  Bonchamp  said.  "Of  course 
you  are  not  perfect  yet,  but  with  a  quarter  of  an  hour's 
drill  by  your  commander  every  day,  at  the  end  of  a  week 


68  NO   SURRENDER 

you  will  be  able  to  do  it  quickly  and  neatly,  and  you  will 
certainly  find  it  a  great  advantage  if  you  come  upon  the 
enemy." 

A  large  empty  room  was  allotted  to  them,  and  as  they 
sat  down  on  the  floor  and  munched  the  bread  that  they 
had  brought  with  them,  they  felt  quite  enthusiastic  over 
their  work.  It  was  a  high  honour  indeed  to  have  been 
praised  by  Monsieur  Cathelineau,  and  been  taught  by  one 
of  his  generals ;  they  even  felt  the  advantage  that  the  drill 
had  given  them,  contrasting  the  quickness  with  which  they 
had  finally  formed  into  line  with  their  trouble  in  arranging 
themselves  before  Monsieur  Cathelineau.  The  fact,  too, 
that  they  were  next  morning  to  be  furnished  with  pistols 
was  a  great  gratification  to  them,  and  over  and  over  again 
they  said  to  each  other,  "  What  will  the  people  at  home  say 
when  they  hear  that  Monsieur  Cathelineau  has  praised  us, 
that  Monsieur  Bonchamp  himself  has  drilled  us,  and  that 
we  are  to  be  provided  with  pistols?" 

In  the  morning  the  pistols  and  ammunition  were  served 
out.  Leigh  had  during  the  previous  evening  seen  Cathe- 
lineau and  asked  for  orders. 

"  I  cannot  say  exactly  the  line  the  Blues  are  likely  to 
take.  I  should  say  that  you  had  better  make  Chemille 
your  head-quarters.  Berruyer,  who  is  their  new  commander, 
has  arrived  at  St.  Lambert.  There  is  a  strong  force  at 
Thouars,  being  a  portion  of  the  army  from  St.  Lambert. 
The  enemy  are  also  in  force  at  Vihiers  and  at  Parthenay. 
It  is  from  the  forces  at  Thouars  and  Vihiers  that  danger  is 
most  likely  to  come.  Doubdess  other  columns  will  come 
from  the  north,  but  we  shall  hear  of  their  having  crossed 
the  Loire  in  time  to  oppose  them,  and  with  so  small  a 
band  as  yours,  you  will  be  amply  employed  in  watching 
Thouars.     There  are  many  roads,  all  more  or  less  bad,  by 


CATHELINEAU'S   SCOUTS  69 

tvhich  they  may  march ;  as  soon  as  you  ascertain  that  they 
are  moving,  and  by  which  route,  you  will  send  a  messenger 
to  me.  Any  others  of  your  band  that  you  may  have  with 
you  send  off  to  all  the  villages  round ;  give  them  warning, 
set  the  bells  ringing,  promise  that  aid  will  soon  arrive, 
and  urge  them  to  harass  the  enemy,  to  fell  trees  across  the 
road,  and  to  impede  their  advance  in  every  possible  way. 

*'  I  will  give  you  half  a  dozen  papers  for  the  use  of  your- 
self and  your  messengers,  saying  that  you  are  acting  under 
my  orders,  and  are  charged  with  raising  the  country  directly 
the  enemy  advance.  But  above  all  it  is  important  that  I 
should  get  the  earliest  possible  information  as  to  the  route 
by  which  they  are  moving,  as  it  will  take  us  thirty-six 
hours  before  we  can  gather  in  anything  like  our  full 
strength.  It  will  be  useful  that  you  should  spread  false 
news  as  to  our  whereabouts.  Your  boys  can  say  in  one 
village  that  we  are  marching  towards  Tours,  in  another 
that  we  are  massed  in  the  neighbourhood  of  St.  Florent, 
in  a  third  that  they  hear  that  the  order  is  that  all  able- 
bodied  men  are  to  go  west  to  oppose  the  force  coming  from 
Nantes,  which  has  already  taken  Clisson,  and  carried  Mon- 
sieur de  Lescure  and  his  family  prisoners  to  Bressuire." 

"  We  shall  have  to  tell  the  villagers,  sir,  that  we  wish 
this  news  to  be  given  to  the  Blues  if  they  should  come 
there,  or  if  questioned  they  would  tell  them  something  else. 
I  am  sure  that  even  the  women  would  suffer  themselves  to 
be  killed  rather  than  give  any  news  that  they  thought  would 
be  useful  to  the  enemy." 

"You  are  right.  Yes,  you  must  tell  them  that  this  is 
what  we  want  the  Blues  to  believe,  and  that  it  is  my  wish 
that  these  are  the  answers  to  be  given  to  any  of  them  who 
may  enter  the  village." 

''  The  only  thing,  sir,  is  that  they  may  find  the  villages 


70  NO   SURRENDER 

empty  as  they  come  along.  The  women  and  children  will 
no  doubt  take  to  the  woods  ;  the  men  will  perhaps  offer  some 
resistance,  but  when  they  find  how  strong  the  Blues  are,  will 
probably  hurry  to  join  you.'^ 

"  There  will  probably  be  a  few  old  people  remaining  in 
each  village  ;  however,  we  must  trust  much  to  chance.  The 
great  thing  is  for  you  to  let  me  know  as  soon  as  their  main 
body  is  in  motion.  Whichever  way  they  come  we  must 
meet  and  attack  them.  It  is  in  the  woods  and  lanes  that  we 
must  defend  ourselves." 

"  I  will  endeavour  to  carry  out  your  orders,  sir,  and  shall 
start  to-morrow  morning  as  soon  as  we  get  our  pistols." 

As  soon  as  the  little  band  was  well  away  from  the  town 
the  pistols  were  loaded,  and  each  of  the  lads  in  turn  fired 
three  shots  at  the  trunk  of  a  tree  at  a  distance  of  ten  yards 
under  Leigh's  directions.  The  shooting  was  quite  as  good 
as  he  had  expected,  and  the  boys  themselves  were  well 
satisfied.  Then,  the  pistols  being  reloaded  and  placed  in 
their  belts,  they  resumed  their  march.  They  halted  at  a 
tiny  hamlet  consisting  of  half  a  dozen  houses,  four  miles 
from  Thouars.  The  inhabitants  were  greatly  surprised  at 
their  appearance,  and  an  old  man,  who  was  the  head  of  the 
little  community,  came  out  and  asked  Leigh  who  they 
were. 

"  We  are  Cathelineau's  scouts,"  he  replied.  "  We  have 
orders  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  enemy.  We  wish 
to  be  of  no  trouble.  If  there  is  an  empty  shed  we  should 
be  glad  of  it,  still  more  so  if  there  is  a  truss  or  two  of 
straw." 

*'  These  you  can  have,"  the  old  man  said.  "  If  Cathe- 
lineau's orders  had  been  that  we  were  to  turn  out  of  our 
houses  for  you  we  should  have  done  so  willingly." 

"A  shed  will  do  excellently  for  us.     We  shall  be  here 


CATHELINEAU'S   SCOUTS  71 

but  little  ;  half  our  number  will  always  be  away.  '  If  you  can 
supply  us  with  bread  I  will  pay  you  for  it.  If  you  can- 
not do  so  I  shall  have  to  send  two  of  my  party  away  every 
day  to  fetch  bread  from  Cathelineau's  camp." 

"  I  will  see  what  can  be  done.     It  will  not  be  for  long?" 

"  No,  it  may  possibly  be  only  two  or  three  days,  and  it 
may  be  a  week." 

"  Then  I  think  that  we  can  manage.  If  we  have  not  flour 
enough  here  to  spare  I  can  take  my  horse  and  fetch  half  a 
sackful  from  some  other  village." 

"  Thank  you  very  much.  However,  I  think  that  we  shall 
only  occasionally  want  bread,  for  I  shall  be  sending  messen- 
gers every  day  to  Monsieur  Cathelineau,  and  these  can 
always  bring  bread  back  with  them." 

The  old  man  led  them  to  a  building  which  had  served  as 
a  stable,  but  which  was  then  untenanted. 

"  I  will  get  some  straw  taken  in  presently,  lads.  As  for 
you,  sir,  I  shall  be  glad  if  you  will  be  my  guest." 

"  I  thank  you,"  Leigh  said,  "  but  I  prefer  to  be  with  my 
followers.  They  come  by  my  persuasion,  and  I  wish  to 
share  their  lot  in  all  things ;  besides,  my  being  with  them 
will  keep  up  their  spirits." 

There  was  half  an  hour's  drill,  and  then  Leigh  led  the 
party  to  the  shed,  to  which  four  or  five  bundles  of  straw  had 
by  this  time  been  brought. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  "  before  we  do  anything  else  we  must 
choose  two  sub-officers.  At  times  we  may  divide  into  two 
parties,  and  therefore  it  is  necessary  that  one  should  be 
responsible  to  me  for  what  is  done  in  my  absence.  I  will 
leave  it  to  you  to  choose  them.  Remember  it  is  not  size 
and  strength  that  are  of  most  importance,  it  is  quickness 
and  intelligence.  You  know  your  comrades  better  than  I 
do,  and  I  shall  be  quite  content  to  abide  by  your  choice.     I 


72  NO    SURRENDER 

will  go  outside  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  while  you  talk  it  over. 
I  don't  want  to  influence  you  at  all.'** 

In  ten  minutes  two  of  the  lads  came  out. 

"  We  have  chosen  Andr^  Favras  and  Pierre  Landrin." 

**  I  think  that  you  have  done  very  wisely,"  Leigh  said. 
"  Those  are  the  two  whom  I  myself  should  have  selected." 

He  had  indeed  noticed  them  as  the  two  most  intelligent 
of  the  party.  They  had  been  his  first  recruits,  and  it  was 
in  no  small  degree  owing  to  their  influence  that  the  others 
had  joined  him.     He  returned  to  the  shed. 

"  I  approve  of  your  choice,  lads,"  he  said.  "  No  doubt 
Andr6  and  Pierre  will  make  very  good  sub-officers.  When 
I  am  not  present  you  must  obey  their  orders  as  readily  as 
you  do  mine,  and  I  shall  be  able  to  trust  them  to  carry 
out  my  directions  implicitly.  Now  you  will  divide  in 
two  parties  :  the  first  two  sections  and  two  of  the  third 
section  will  form  one  party,  and  will  be  under  Andre's 
command  when  acting  in  two  parties ;  the  other  two  of  the 
third  section  and  the  fourth  and  fifth  will  form  the  second 
division,  under  Pierre.  You  will  take  it  in  turns  to  be  on 
duty.  We  shall  not  need  to  watch  by  night,  for  there 
is  no  chance  of  the  enemy  venturing  to  enter  our  lanes 
and  thickets  after  dark.  The  party  not  out  on  scouting 
duty  will  remain  here,  and  will  furnish  messengers  to  carry 
news  to  Cathelineau,  to  fetch  bread,  or  to  perform  other 
duties." 

The  next  morning  Leigh  set  out  with  the  whole  band 
except  two.  He  had  gathered  from  the  people  of  the 
village  the  position  of  the  various  roads  and  lanes  by  which 
troops  going  westward  from  Thouars  would  be  likely  to 
travel.  When  within  two  miles  of  the  town  he  placed  two 
boys  on  each  of  these  roads.  They  were  not  to  show 
themselves,  but  were  to  lie  behind  the  hedges,  and  if  they 


CATHELINEAU'S   SCOUTS  73 

saw  any  body  of  troops  coming  along,  were  at  once  to 
bring  news  to  him,  his  own  point  being  on  the  principal 
road.  Andr^  and  Pierre  were  to  leave  their  arms  and  belts 
behind  them,  to  make  a  long  detour,  and  to  enter  the  town 
from  the  other  side.  They  were  to  saunter  about  the  place, 
listen  to  what  was  being  said,  and  gather  as  much  news  as 
possible.  Each  was  provided  with  two  francs,  and  if  ques- 
tioned they  were  to  say  that  they  had  come  in  from  some 
village  near  to  buy  an  axe. 

'*  I  should  have  gone  in  myself,  Andre,  but  although  I 
can  get  on  fairly  enough  in  your  patois,  I  cannot  speak  it 
well  enough  to  pass  as  a  native.  However,  you  are  not 
likely  to  be  questioned;  in  a  town  crowded  with  troops, 
two  lads  can  move  about  without  attracting  the  smallest 
attention  from  the  military.  It  would  be  only  the  civilian 
authorities  that  you  would  have  to  fear,  but  these  will  be 
so  much  occupied  in  attending  to  the  wants  of  the  soldiers 
that  they  will  not  have  any  time  on  their  hands  for  asking 
questions.  Be  sure  before  you  enter  the  town  that  you 
find  out  the  name  of  some  village  three  or  four  miles  on 
the  other  side,  so  as  to  have  an  answer  ready  if  you  are 
asked  where  you  come  from.  It  is  probable  that  you  will 
find  troops  quartered  in  all  the  villages  beyond  the  town, 
which  could  hardly  accommodate  so  large  a  number  as 
are  there.  Remember  you  must  try  to  look  absolutely 
unconcerned  as  you  go  through  them,  and  as  you  walk  about 
the  streets  of  the  town.  The  great  object  is  to  find  out  how 
many  men  there  are  in  and  around  Thouars,  whether  they 
are  looking  for  more  troops  to  join  them  from  Saumur,  and 
when  they  are  expecting  to  move  forward." 

As  soon  as  they  had  left  he  repeated  to  the  six  lads  who 
remained  with  him  the  orders  that  he  had  given  to  those 
posted  on  the  other  roads.      "  You  are  to  remain  in  hiding," 


74  NO   SURRENDER 

he  said,  "  whatever  the  force  may  be.  It  is  likely  enough 
that  patrols  of  four  or  five  men  may  come  along  to  see  that 
the  roads  are  clear,  and  that  there  are  no  signs  of  any  bodies 
being  gathered  to  oppose  their  advance.  It  is  quite  true 
that  we  might  shoot  down  and  overpower  any  such  patrols, 
but  we  must  not  attempt  to  do  so ;  if  one  of  them  escaped 
he  would  carry  the  news  to  Thouars  that  the  roads  were 
beset.  This  would  put  them  on  their  guard  —  doubtless 
they  imagine  that  with  such  a  force  as  they  have  gathered 
they  will  march  through  La  Vendee  without  opposition  — 
and  they  would  adopt  such  precautions  at  to  render  it  far 
more  difficult  than  it  otherwise  would  be  to  check  their 
advance  when  it  begins  in  earnest.  We  are  here  only  to 
watch,  we  shall  have  opportunities  for  fighting  later  on. 
This  is  a  good  spot  for  watching,  for  we  have  a  thick  wood 
behind  us,  and  plenty  of  undergrowth  along  its  edge  by  the 
road,  where  we  can  hide  so  closely  that  there  will  not  be  the 
slightest  chance  of  our  being  discovered  if  we  do  but  keep 
absolutely  quiet." 

Three  or  four  times  during  the  day,  indeed,  cavalry 
parties  passed  along  the  road.  They  did  not  appear  to 
have  any  fear  of  an  attack,  but  laughed  and  jested  at  the 
work  they  had  come  to  do,  scoffed  at  the  idea  of  the  peas- 
ants venturing  to  oppose  such  forces  as  had  gathered  against 
them,  and  discussed  the  chances  of  booty.  One  party  of 
four  men  and  an  old  sergeant  pulled  up  and  dismounted 
close  to  the  spot  where  the  lads  where  hidden. 

"  It  is  all  very  well,  comrades,"  their  leader  said,  "  but 
for  my  part  I  would  rather  be  on  the  frontier  fighting  the 
Austrians ;  that  is  work  for  soldiers.  Here  we  are  to  fight 
Frenchmen  like  ourselves,  poor  chaps  who  have  done  no 
harm,  except  that  they  stick  to  their  clergy,  and  object  to 
be  dragged  away  from  their  homes.    I  am  no  politician,  and 


CHECKING  THE   ENEMY  75 

I  don't  care  a  snap  for  the  doings  of  the  Assembly  in  Paris 
—  I  am  a  soldier,  and  have  learned  to  obey  orders  whatever 
they  are  —  but  I  don't  like  this  job  we  have  in  hand,  which, 
mind  you,  is  bound  to  be  a  good  deal  harder  than  most  of 
you  expect.  It  is  true  that  they  say  there  are  twenty  thou- 
sand troops  round  the  province  —  but  what  sort  of  troops  ? 
There  are  not  five  thousand  soldiers  among  them  ;  the  others 
are  either  National  Guards  or  newly  raised  levies,  or  those 
blackguards  from  the  slums  of  Paris.  Of  the  National  Guards 
I  should  say  half  would  desert  if  they  only  had  the  chance, 
and  the  new  levies  can't  be  counted  on." 


CHAPTER  V 

CHECKING  THE   ENEMY 

"  'Y/'OU  see,"  Leigh  said  when  the  patrol  had  ridden  on, 
i  "the  real  soldiers  do  not  like  the  work  they  are 
called  upon  to  do,  and  they  have  no  belief  in  the  National 
Guards  or  in  the  new  levies.  It  will  make  all  the  difference 
in  their  own  fighting  when  they  know  that  they  cannot  rely 
upon  some  of  the  troops  working  with  them.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  what  they  say  of  the  National  Guards  is  true ; 
they  have  had  to  come  out  because  they  are  summoned, 
but  they  can  have  no  interest  in  the  war  against  us,  and 
doubtless  many  of  them  hate  the  government  in  Paris  just 
as  much  as  we  do,  and  would  give  a  great  deal  to  be  back 
again  with  their  homes  and  families.  It  is  just  as  hard 
for  them  to  be  obliged  to  fight  us  as  it  is  for  us  to  be 
obliged  to  fight  them." 

It  was  late  in  the   afternoon   before   Andr^   and  Pierre 
returned.     By   the   time   they   did   so  the   various   cavalry 


76  NO   SURRENDER 

patrols  had  all  gone  back  to  Thouars.  From  time  to  time 
boys  had  come  in  from  the  other  roads.  One  or  two  patrols 
only  had  gone  out  by  each  of  the  lanes  on  which  they 
were  posted.  It  was  evident  that  the  main  road  was  con- 
sidered of  the  most  importance,  and  it  was  probable  that 
the  greater  portion  of  the  enemy's  force  would  move  by  it. 

"  Well,  what  is  your  news  ?  "  Leigh  asked  as  his  two  lieu- 
tenants came  down  from  the  wood  behind.  "  I  hope  all 
has  gone  well  with  you." 

"  Yes,  captain,"  Andre  rephed ;  ''  we  have  had  no  diffi- 
culty. The  troops  in  the  villages  on  the  other  side  of  the 
town  did  not  even  glance  at  us  as  we  went  through,  suppos- 
ing, no  doubt,  that  we  belonged  to  the  place.  Thouars 
was  crowded  with  soldiers,  and  we  heard  that  two  thousand 
more  are  to  arrive  from  Saumur  this  evening.  We  heard 
one  of  the  officers  say  that  orders  were  expected  for  a  for- 
ward movement  to-morrow,  and  that  all  the  other  columns 
were  to  move  at  the  same  time,  and  three  of  them  were 
to  meet  at  Chemille'.'^ 

"That  is  enough  for  the  present,  Andre.  You  have 
both  done  very  well  to  pick  up  so  much  news  as  that.  We 
will  be  off  at  once." 

Messengers  were  at  once  sent  off  to  order  in  the  other 
parties,  and  as  soon  as  these  joined  they  returned  to  the 
village,  where  they  passed  the  night.  On  arriving  there 
Leigh  wrote  a  report  of  the  news  that  he  had  gathered,  and 
sent  off  one  of  the  band,  who  had  remained  all  day  in  the 
village,  to  Cathelineau,  and  the  other  to  Monsieur  d'Elbee 
at  Chollet. 

The  next  day*s  watch  passed  like  the  first.  Two  or  three 
officers,  however,  trotted  along  the  main  road  with  a  squadron 
of  cavalry  and  rode  to  within  a  few  miles  of  Chemille,  and 
then  returned  to  Thouars.     The   next  morning  Leigh  and 


CHECKING   THE    ENEMY  i  i 

his  band  were  out  before  daybreak,  and,  making  their  way 
to  within  a  short  distance  of  Thouars,  heard  drums  beating 
and  trumpets  sounding.  There  was  no  doubt  that  the 
force  there  was  getting  into  motion.  The  band  at  once 
dispersed,  carrying  the  news  not  only  to  every  village 
along  the  road,  warning  the  women  and  children  to  take  to 
the  woods,  and  the  men  to  prepare  for  the  passage  of  the 
enemy,  but  to  all  the  villages  within  two  or  three  miles  of 
the  road,  ordering  the  church  bells  to  be  sounded  to  call 
the  peasants  to  arms ;  while  two  lads  started  to  carry  the 
news  to  CatheHneau  and  d'Elbee. 

When  once  the  bells  of  the  churches  near  the  road  were 
set  ringing,  they  were  speedily  echoed  by  those  of  the 
villages  beyond,  until  the  entire  district  knew  that  the 
enemy  were  advancing.  On  the  way  from  Chemill^  Leigh 
had  kept  a  sharp  look-out  for  points  where  an  enemy 
might  be  checked,  and  had  fixed  upon  one  about  half-way 
between  the  two  towns.  A  stream  some  four  feet  in  depth 
passed  under  a  bridge  where  the  road  dipped  into  a  hollow ; 
beyond  this  the  ground  rose  steeply  and  was  covered  with 
a  thick  wood  of  very  considerable  extent.  As  soon  as  he 
reached  this  point,  he  set  his  band  to  work  to  destroy  the 
bridge.  As  groups  of  peasants  came  flocking  along,  and 
saw  what  was  intended,  they  at  once  joined  in  the  work. 
As  soon  at  it  was  done,  Leigh  led  them  to  the  spot  where 
the  forest  began,  some  thirty  yards  up  the  hill,  and  set 
them  to  fell  trees. 

This  was  work  to  which  all  were  accustomed,  and  as 
many  of  them  carried  axes,  the  trees  nearest  to  the  road 
were  felled  to  fall  across  it ;  while  on  each  side  facing  the 
stream  they  were  cut  so  as  to  fall  down  the  slope,  and 
so  form  an  abattis.  Before  the  work  was  finished  to  a 
distance  of  two  or  three  hundred  yards  on  each   side   of 


78  NO    SURRENDER 

the  road,  several  hundred  peasants  had  come  up  ;  of  these 
about  a  third  were  armed  with  muskets.  Seeing  the  advan- 
tage of  the  position,  and  that  in  case  it  was  forced  the 
forest  offered  them  a  means  of  retreat,  all  prepared  for  a 
desperate  resistance.  The  men  with  firearms  were  placed 
in  the  front  rank,  those  with  pitchforks  and  other  rural 
weapons  were  to  keep  at  work  till  the  last  moment  cut- 
ting underwood,  and  filling  the  interstices  between  the 
boughs  of  the  fallen  trees  so  as  to  make  it  extremely  diffi- 
cult to  force.  They  were  ordered  to  withdraw,  when  the  fight 
began,  to  a  distance  of  two  or  three  hundred  yards,  and 
then  to  lie  down  in  any  inequalities  of  the  ground  so  as 
to  be  safe  from  cannon-shot.  Only  when  the  defenders 
of  the  abattis  were  forced  back  were  they  to  prepare  to 
charge. 

A  young  fellow  with  a  cow-horn  took  his  place  by  Leigh's 
side ;  when  he  blew  his  horn  the  front  rank  were  to  run 
back  and  the  reserve  to  come  forward  to  meet  them,  and 
then  they  were  to  rush  down  again  upon  their  assailants 
who  had  passed  the  abattis,  and  to  hurl  them  into  the 
stream.  The  peasants  all  recognized  the  advantages  of 
these  arrangements.  Those  who  had  come  first  had  found 
Leigh  in  command,  and  by  the  readiness  with  which  he 
was  obeyed  by  his  own  followers  saw  at  once  that  he  was 
in  authority.  As  others  came  up  he  showed  them  Cathe- 
lineau's  circular ;  these  recognized  its  order,  and  informed 
the  later  arrivals  that  the  young  officer  who  was  giving 
orders  was  specially  empowered  by  Cathelineau  to  take 
command,  and  Leigh  was  as  promptly  obeyed  as  if  he  had 
been  their  favourite  leader  himself.  They  saw,  too,  that 
he  knew  exactly  what  he  wanted  done,  and  gave  every 
order  with  firmness  and  decision,  and  their  confidence  in 
him  became  profound. 


CHECKING  THE   ENEMY  79 

It  was  three  hours  after  he  arrived  at  the  river  when 
a  party  of  horse  came  down  the  opposite  slope.  Leigh 
had  ordered  that  not  a  shot  was  to  be  fired  until  he  gave 
the  signal.  He  waited  until  the  enemy  came  to  the  severed 
bridge,  when  they  halted  suddenly,  and  as  they  did  so  he 
gave  the  word,  and  from  the  long  line  of  greenery  fifty 
muskets  flashed  out.  More  than  half  the  troop  of  horse  fell, 
and  the  rest,  turning  tail,  galloped  up  the  hill  again,  while 
a  shout  of  derision  rose  from  the  peasants.  Half  an  hour 
passed,  then  the  head  of  the  column  was  seen  descending 
the  road.  It  opened  out  as  it  came,  forming  into  a 
thick  line  of  skirmishers  some  two  hundred  yards  wide. 
Moving  along,  Leigh  spread  the  musketeers  to  a  similar 
length  of  front.  At  first  the  enemy  were  half  hidden  by 
the  wood  at  the  other  side  of  the  slope,  but  as  they  issued 
from  this  some  twenty  yards  from  the  stream  a  scattered 
fire  broke  out  from  the  defenders. 

The  Blues  replied  with  a  general  discharge  at  their  in- 
visible foes,  but  these  were  crouching  behind  the  stumps 
or  trunks  of  the  felled  trees,  and  the  fire  was  ineffectual. 
Leigh's  own  band  were  lying  in  a  little  hollow  twenty  yards 
behind  the  abattis ;  their  pistols  would  have  been  useless 
until  the  enemy  won  their  way  up  to  the  trees,  and  until 
then  they  were  to  remain  as  a  first  reserve.  Exposed 
as  they  were  to  the  steady  fire  of  the  peasants,  the  as- 
sailants suffered  heavily,  and  at  the  edge  of  the  stream 
paused  irresolutely.  It  was  some  fifteen  yards  wide,  but 
they  were  ignorant  of  the  depth,  and  hesitated  to  enter  it ; 
urged,  however,  by  the  shouts  of  their  officers,  who  set  the 
example  by  at  once  entering  the  stream,  and  by  seeing  that 
the  water  did  not  rise  above  their  shoulders,  the  men 
followed;  but  as  they  gained  the  opposite  bank  they  fell 
fast.     At  so   short  a  distance  every  shot  of  the  peasants 


80  NO   SURRENDER 

told,  and  it  was  some  time  before  a  sufficient  number  had 
crossed  to  make  an  assault  against  the  wall  of  foliage  in 
their  front. 

Fresh  troops  were  constantly  arriving  from  behind,  and 
encouraged  by  this,  they  at  last  rushed  forward.  As  they 
did  so,  Leigh  called  up  his  own  band,  and  these,  crawling 
forward  through  the  tangle  as  far  as  they  could,  opened 
fire  on  the  enemy  as  they  strove  to  push  their  way  through 
the  obstacle. 

For  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  fight  went  on ;  then 
the  assailants,  having  with  great  loss  succeeded  in  pass- 
ing over  or  puUing  aside  the  brushwood,  began  to  pour 
through.  The  moment  they  did  so,  Leigh's  horn  sounded, 
and  at  once  the  defenders  rushed  up  the  hill,  pursued  by  the 
Blues  with  exulting  shouts.  But  few  shots  were  fired,  for 
the  assailants  had  emptied  their  muskets  before  striving  to 
pass  through  the  obstacle. 

Leigh  and  his  men  had  run  but  a  hundred  yards  into  the 
wood  when  they  met  the  main  body  of  the  peasants  rushing 
down  at  full  speed.  Turning  at  once,  his  party  joined  them 
and  fell  upon  the  advancing  enemy.  Taken  wholly  by  sur- 
prise when  they  believed  that  victory  was  won,  the  two  or 
three  hundred  men  who  had  passed  the  abattis  were  swept 
before  the  crowd  of  peasants  like  chaff;  the  latter,  pressing 
close  upon  their  heels,  followed  them  through  the  gaps  that 
had  been  made. 

The  panic  of  the  fugitives  spread  at  once  to  those  who 
had  crossed  the  river,  and  were  clustered  round  the  openings, 
jostling  in  their  eagerness  to  get  through  and  join,  as  they 
believed,  in  the  slaughter  of  those  who  had  caused  them 
such  heavy  loss,  and  all  fled  together.  The  peasants  were 
at  their  heels,  making  deadly  use  of  their  pitchforks,  axes, 
and  knives,   and   drove    the   survivors   headlong   into   the 


A    SCATTERED    FIRE    BROKE    OUT    FROM    THE    DEFENDERS." 


CHECKING   THE    ENEMY  81 

river.  The  horn  again  sounded,  and  in  accordance  with 
the  strict  orders  that  they  had  received  they  ran  back 
again  to  their  shelter,  a  few  dropping  from  the  scattered 
fire  that  the  troops  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream  opened 
against  them,  as  soon  as  the  fugitives  had  cleared  away  from 
their  front.  Scarcely  had  the  peasants  gained  the  shelter 
when  six  pieces  of  cannon,  that  had  been  placed  on  the  oppo- 
site slope  while  the  fight  was  going  on,  opened  against  them. 

Leigh  at  once  ordered  the  main  body  back  to  their  former 
position,  scattering  his  hundred  men  with  guns  along  the 
whole  line  of  abattis,  whence  they  again  opened  fire  on  the 
troops  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  These  replied 
with  volleys  of  musketry,  but  the  defenders,  stationed  as 
they  were  five  or  six  yards  apart,  and  sheltering  behind  the 
trees,  suffered  but  little  either  from  the  artillery  or  musketry 
fire,  while  men  dropped  fast  in  the  ranks  of  the  Blues.  The 
cannon  were  principally  directed  against  the  trees  block- 
ing the  road.  Gradually  these  were  torn  to  pieces,  and 
after  an  hour's  firing  were  so  far  destroyed  that  a  passage 
through  them  was  comparatively  easy.  Then  the  enemy 
again  began  to  cross  the  stream.  As  soon  as  they  com- 
menced to  do  so,  Leigh  called  up  the  men  with  muskets 
from  each  flank,  and  sent  word  to  the  main  body  to  descend 
the  hill  again,  as  the  cannonade  would  cease  as  soon  as  the 
attack  began. 

Three  times  the  assault  was  made  and  repulsed,  the 
peasants  fighting  with  a  fury  that  the  Blues,  already  dis- 
heartened with  their  heavy  losses,  could  not  withstand.  As 
they  fell  back  for  the  third  time,  Leigh  thought  that  enough 
had  been  done,  and  ordered  the  peasants  at  once  to  make 
through  the  woods  and  to  proceed  by  lanes  and  by-ways 
to  join  Cathehneau,  who,  he  doubted  not,  would  by  this 
time  have  gathered  a  considerable  force  at  Chemill^.     By 

6 


82  NO   SURRENDER 

the  time  that  the  Blues  were  ready  to  advance  again,  this 
time  in  overwhelming  force,  the  peasants  were  well  away. 
The  wounded,  as  fast  as  they  fell,  had  been  carried  off  to 
distant  villages,  and  when  the  enemy  advanced  they  found, 
to  their  surprise,  that  their  foes  had  disappeared,  and  that 
only  some  thirty  dead  bodies  remained  on  the  scene  of  battle. 
Their  own  loss  had  exceeded  three  hundred,  a  large  propor- 
tion of  whom  were  regular  soldiers,  and  the  National  Guards 
and  the  new  levies  were  profoundly  depressed  at  the  result 
of  the  action. 

"  If,"  they  said  to  themselves,  "  what  must  have  been 
but  a  comparatively  small  number  of  peasants  have  caused 
this  loss,  what  will  it  be  when  we  meet  Cathelineau's  main 
body?" 

There  was  no  thought  of  pursuit.  A  regiment  was 
thrown  out  in  skirmishing  order  and  advanced  through 
the  wood,  the  rest  following  in  column  along  the  road. 
General  Berruyer  had  joined  General  Menou  the  evening 
before  with  the  force  from  Saumur,  and  as  they  moved 
forward  the  two  generals  rode  together. 

"This  is  a  much  more  serious  business  than  I  had  ex- 
pected," Berruyer  said.  "  I  certainly  imagined  that  with 
such  forces  as  we  have  gathered  round  La  Vendee,  the  cam- 
paign would  be  litde  more  than  a  military  promenade.  I 
see,  however,  that  I  was  entirely  mistaken.  These  men 
have  to-day  shown  themselves  capable  of  taking  advantage 
of  the  wild  character  of  their  country,  and  as  to  their 
courage  there  can  be  no  question  whatever.  If  this  is  a  fair 
sample  of  the  resistance  that  we  have  to  expect  throughout 
the  whole  country,  we  shall  need  at  least  fifty  thousand  men 
to  subdue  them." 

"  Fully  that,"  Menou  said  shordy.  "  There  is  no  doubt 
that   we   blame  the    National  Guards,   who  were  so  easily 


CHECKING   THE    ENEMY  83 

routed  by  the  peasants  on  the  tenth  of  March,  more  severely 
than  they  deserve.  I  rode  forward  to  encourage  the  men 
at  their  last  attack.  I  never  saw  soldiers  fight  with  such 
fury  as  did  these  peasants.  They  threw  themselves  on  the 
troops  like  tigers,  in  many  cases  wresting  their  arms  from 
them  and  braining  them  with  their  own  muskets.  Even  our 
best  soldiers  seemed  cowed  by  the  fierceness  with  which 
they  were  attacked,  and  as  for  the  men  of  the  new  levies, 
they  were  worse  than  useless,  and  their  efforts  to  force 
their  way  to  the  rear  blocked  the  way  of  the  reinforcements, 
who  were  trying,  though  I  must  own  not  very  vigorously, 
to  get  to  the  front.  The  peasants  were  well  led,  too,  and 
acting  on  an  excellent  plan  of  defence ;  they  must  have 
been  sheltered  altogether  from  our  fire,  for  among  the  dead 
I  did  not  see  one  who  had  been  killed  by  a  cannon-ball. 
1'he  country  must  possess  hundreds  of  points  equally  well 
adapted  for  defence,  and  if  these  are  as  well  and  obstinately 
held  as  this  has  been,  it  will  take  even  more  than  fifty 
thousand  men  to  suppress  the  insurrection.'^ 

"The  Convention  is  going  to  work  the  wrong  way," 
Berruyer  said.  "  The  commissioners  have  orders  to  hang 
every  peasant  found  in  arms  and  every  suspect,  that  is  to 
say  virtually  every  one  in  La  Vendee.  It  would  have  been 
infinitely  better  for  them  to  have  issued  a  general  amnesty, 
to  acknowledge  that  they  themselves  have  made  a  mis- 
take, that  the  cures  of  Poitou  and  Brittany  should  be  ex- 
cepted from  the  general  law  and  allowed  to  continue  their 
work  in  their  respective  parishes  without  interruption,  and 
that  for  a  year  at  least  this  part  of  France  should  be 
exempt  from  conscription.  Why,  if  this  campaign  goes  on, 
a  far  larger  force  will  be  employed  here  than  the  number 
of  troops  which  the  district  was  called  upon  to  contribute, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  enormous  expense  and  loss  of  men. 


84  NO  SURRENDER 

It  is  a  hideous  business  altogether  to  my  mind.  I  would 
give  all  I  possess  to  be  recalled  and  sent  to  fight  on  the 
frontier." 

Two  hours  after  the  fight,  Leigh  with  his  band,  of  whom 
none  had  been  killed,  although  several  had  received  wounds 
more  or  less  serious,  arrived  at  Chemille.  They  had  been 
preceded  by  many  of  the  peasants,  who  had  already  carried 
the  news  of  the  fight,  and  that  the  column  from  Thouars 
had  been  delayed  for  three  hours  and  had  suffered  very 
heavy  losses. 

"  It  was  all  owing.  Monsieur  Cathelineau,"  the  head  of 
one  of  the  peasant  bands  said,  "  to  the  officer  you  sent  to 
command  us.  He  was  splendid ;  it  was  to  him  that  every- 
thing was  due.  He  was  cutting  down  the  bridge  when  we 
came  up,  and  it  was  by  his  orders  that  we  felled  the  trees 
and  blocked  the  road  and  made  a  sort  of  hedge  that  took 
them  so  long  to  get  through.  We  should  have  been  greatly 
damaged  by  the  fire  of  their  guns  and  muskets,  but  he  kept 
us  all  lying  down  out  of  reach  till  we  were  wanted,  while 
the  men  with  the  guns  defended  the  line  of  fallen  trees. 
When  we  were  wanted,  he  called  us  up  by  blowing  a 
cowhorn,  and  then  we  drove  the  Blues  back  into  the 
stream,  and  returned  to  our  shelter  until  we  were  wanted 
again.  We  did  not  lose  more  than  thirty  men  altogether, 
while  more  than  ten  times  that  number  of  the  Blues  have 
fallen.  We  thought  at  first  that  you  had  chosen  rather  a 
strange  leader  for  us,  but  as  always  you  were  right,  for  if 
you  had  been  there  yourself  things  could  not  have  gone 
better." 

"  But  I  sent  no  one  as  your  commander,"  Cathelineau 
said  in  surprise. 

"  He  had  a  paper  that  he  read  out  saying  that  he  was 
acting  on  your  orders.     As  I  cannot  read,  I  cannot  say  that 


CHECKING   THE   ENEMY  85 

it  was  written  down  as  he  read  it ;  but  if  you  did  not  send 
him  God  must  have  done  so." 

"It  is  strange,  Bonchamp,"  Cathelineau  said  to  that 
officer,-  "  for  I  certainly  did  not  send  anyone.  I  never 
thought  of  defending  the  passage  of  that  stream.  How- 
ever, whoever  it  is  who  has  commanded  has  done  us  great 
service,  for  that  three  hours  which  have  been  gained  will 
make  all  the  difference;  they  cannot  arrive  now  until  after 
dark,  and  will  not  attack  before  morning,  and  by  that  time 
our  force  will  have  doubled." 

"  Here  comes  our  officer,  monsieur  ! "  the  peasant  ex- 
claimed as  Leigh  with  his  party  came  down  the  street, 
loudly  cheered  by  the  peasants  who  had  fought  under  him. 

"  Why,  it  is  Jean  Martin's  young  brother-in-law  !  "  Mon- 
sieur Bonchamp  exclaimed,  and  raising  his  voice  he  called 
to  Jean,  who  was  talking  to  a  group  of  other  officers  near. 

Jean  ran  up. 

"  Monsieur  Martin,  it  is  your  young  Englishman  who  has 
held  Berruyer  in  check  for  three  hours  ;  see  how  the  peasants 
are  cheering  him  ! " 

Cathelineau  advanced  to  meet  Leigh,  who  halted  his  band 
and  saluted  the  general.  The  latter  stepped  forward  and 
returned  the  salute  by  lifting  his  hat. 

"Monsieur  Stansfield,"  he  said,  "I  salute  you  as  the 
saviour  of  our  position  here.  Had  Berruyer  arrived  this 
afternoon  we  must  have  retired,  for  we  are  not  yet  in 
sufficient  force  to  withstand  his  attack.  To-morrow  we 
shall,  I  hope,  be  strong  enough  to  beat  him.  I  have  been 
wondering  who  this  officer  could  be  who  with  but  three  or 
four  hundred  men  held  the  principal  force  of  our  foes,  led 
by  their  commander-in-chief,  in  check  for  three  hours,  and, 
as  I  hear,  killed  three  hundred  of  his  best  troops,  with  a  loss 
of  but  thirty  of  ours.     I  ought  to  have  thought  of  you  when 


86  NO   SURRENDER 

they  said  that  you  read  them  an  order  saying  that  you  were 
acting  in  my  name." 

"  It  was  great  presumption  on  my  part,  general,"  Leigh 
said,  "  and  I  know  that  I  had  no  right  to  use  it  for  such 
a  purpose ;  but  I  felt  how  important  it  was  that  you  should 
have  time  to  prepare  for  defence,  and  I  thought  it  my  duty, 
as  there  was  no  one  else  to  take  the  matter  in  hand,  to  do  so 
myself." 

"  You  have  done  magnificently,  sir,  and  the  thanks  of  all 
La  Vendee  are  due  to  you.  I  see  that  several  of  your  lads 
are  wounded,"  for  five  of  them  wore  bandages,  and  a  sixth 
was  carried  on  a  rough  litter  by  four  of  his  companions. 
"  Lads,"  he  said,  "  I  salute  you  ;  you  have  done  well  indeed, 
and  there  is  not  a  boy  of  your  age  in  La  Vendee  but  will 
envy  you  when  he  hears  how  you,  under  your  brave  young 
commander,  have  to-day  played  the  chief  part  in  checking 
the  advance  of  an  army  of  five  thousand  men.  I  shall 
publish  an  order  to-day  saying  that  my  scouts  have  ren- 
dered an  inestimable  service  to  their  country." 

"  Well,  Leigh,"  Jean  Martin  said  after  the  little  band  had 
fallen  out  and  one  of  the  surgeons  had  taken  charge  of  the 
wounded,  "  you  have  indeed  distinguished  yourself.  I  cer- 
tainly did  not  think  when  I  persuaded  your  sister  to  let  you 
go  that  you  were  going  to  match  yourself  against  the  French 
general,  and  to  command  a  force  which  should  inflict  a 
heavy  check  upon  him.  Cathelineau  has  asked  me  to 
bring  you  round  to  his  quarters  presently  so  that  you  can 
give  him  the  full  details  of  the  affair,  saying  that  a  plan 
that  had  succeeded  so  well  might  be  tried  again  with  equal 
effect.  I  cannot  stay  with  you  now,  for  I  am  going  with 
Bonchamp  to  see  to  the  work  of  loopholing  and  fortifying 
the  church." 

"  I  am  going  to  look  after  my  boys,  Jean ;  they  have  had 


CHECKING  THE   ENEMY  87 

nothing  to  eat  this  morning  except  a  mouthful,  or  two  of 
bread  each,  and  they  have  been  up  since  two  hours  before 
daylight.  Do  you  feel  sure  that  the  Blues  will  not  attack 
to-night?" 

"  Yes,  I  think  so ;  after  the  lesson  you  have  given  Ber- 
ruyer  of  the  fighting  qualities  of  the  peasants,  it  is  pretty 
certain  that  he  will  not  venture  to  attack  us  after  a  hard  day's 
march  and  a  fight  that  must  have  sorely  discouraged  his 
men.'' 

That  evening  news  came  in  from  several  quarters. 
Leigonyer  had  marched  from  Vihiers  by  three  roads, 
directing  his  course  towards  Coron.  Two  of  the  columns 
had  been  attacked  by  the  peasants,  and  being  largely  com- 
posed of  new  levies  had  at  once  lost  heart  and  retreated, 
the  central  column,  in  which  were  the  regular  troops,  being 
obliged  in  consequence  also  to  fall  back;  another  column 
had  crossed  the  Loire  and  taken  St.  Florent  without  any 
very  heavy  fighting,  and  Quetineau  had  advanced  from 
Bressuire  to  Aubiers  without  meeting  with  resistance.  The 
news  was  on  the  whole  satisfactory.  It  had  been  feared 
that  the  force  at  Vihiers  would  march  north  and  join  that 
of  Berruyer,  and  that  they  would  make  a  joint  attack  upon 
the  town.  The  disaster  that  had  befallen  them  rendered 
this  no  longer  possible. 

There  was  disappointment  that  St.  Florent  had  been 
recaptured,  but  none  that  Quetineau  had  advanced  without 
i  opposition  to  Aubiers,  for  the  whole  of  the  peasantry  from 
that  locality  were  with  Cathelineau.  In  point  of  fact, 
Berruyer  had  not  ordered  the  force  at  Vihiers  to  march  to 
i  join  him  ;  on  the  contrary,  he  had  intended  after  capturing 
Chemill^,  which  he  expected  to  do  without  serious  trouble, 
to  march  south  and  effect  a  junction  with  Leigonyer  at 
Coron.     He   halted   four   miles  from  Chemill^,  harangued 


88  NO   SURRENDER 

the  new  levies,  reproaching  those  who  had  shown  cowardice 
during  the  day's  fighting,  and  exhorting  them  to  behave 
with  courage  on  the  following  day.  No  inconsiderable 
portion  of  them  belonged  to  the  force  that  had  marched 
down  from  Paris,  and  these  heroes  of  the  slums,  who  had 
been  foremost  in  the  massacres  in  the  prisons,  and  in 
their  demand  for  the  blood  of  all  hostile  to  them,  behaved 
throughout  with  abject  cowardice  whenever  they  met  a  foe 
with  arms  in  their  hands. 

After  having  had  an  interview  with  Cathelineau,  and 
relating  to  him  full  particulars  of  the  fight,  Leigh,  having 
nothing  to  do,  strolled  about  the  town.  Presently  he  came 
upon  a  group  of  three  or  four  peasants  who  had  been 
drinking  more  than  was  good  for  them.  One  of  them, 
whose  bearing  and  appearance  showed  that  he  had  served 
in  the  army,  was  talking  noisily  to  the  others. 

"  You  will  see  that  I,  Jacques  Bruno,  artilleryman,  will 
be  a  great  man  yet,"  he  said.  "  I  shall  soon  be  rich.  I 
have  had  enough  poverty  since  I  left  the  army,  but  I 
shall  have  plenty  of  gold  yet.  You  will  see  what  you  will 
see." 

"  How  can  you  be  rich?  "  one  of  the  others  said  with  an 
air  of  drunken  wisdom.  "  You  are  lazy,  Jacques  Bruno ; 
we  all  know  you ;  you  are  too  fond  of  the  wine-cup ;  it  is 
seldom  that  you  do  a  day's  work." 

"  Never  mind  how  I  shall  get  rich,  I  tell  you  that  it  will  be 
so,  and  the  word  of  Jacques  Bruno  is  not  to  be  doubted ;  " 
and  he  turned  away  saying,  "  I  shall  go  for  a  few  hours*  sleep 
now  to  be  in  readiness  for  to-morrow." 

"  Who  is  that  man  ?  "  Leigh  asked  sharply,  going  up  to 
the  others.  The  scarf  that  he  wore  showed  him  to  be  an 
officer,  and  the  peasants  removed  their  hats. 

"  It  is  Jacques  Bruno,  monsieur.     He  is  in  charge  of  our 


CHECKING   THE    ENEMY  89 

guns  j  he  is  an  old  artilleryman.  Cathelineau  has. appointed 
him  to  the  post,  as  it  needs  an  artilleryman  to  load  and  point 
the  guns." 

Leigh  moved  away.  This  fellow  was  half-drunk,  but  not 
too  drunk  to  know  what  he  was  saying.  What  did  he  mean 
by  declaring  that  he  would  soon  be  rich?  The  peasants 
had  said  that  he  was  lazy  and  fond  of  the  wine-cup.  He 
could  hardly  be  likely  to  acquire  wealth  by  honest  labour. 
Perhaps  he  might  be  intending  an  act  of  treachery.  Put- 
ting aside  other  considerations,  he,  as  an  old  soldier,  would 
scarcely  care  to  mow  down  his  former  comrades,  and  his 
sympathies  must  be  rather  with  the  army  than  with  the 
peasants.  He  had  no  personal  interest  in  this  revolt  against 
conscription,  nor  was  it  likely  that  the  cause  of  the  cures 
concerned  him  greatly.  He  might,  however,  meditate  some 
act  of  treachery,  by  which  he  would  benefit  his  former  com- 
rades and  gain  a  rich  reward.  At  any  rate  it  would  be  worth 
while  watching.  He  returned  to  the  room  where  his  band 
were  quartered. 

"Andr^/*  he  said,  "I  want  you  and  two  others  to  keep 
watch  with  me  until  midnight,  then  Pierre  and  two  of  his 
party  will  relieve  you.  At  that  hour  you  will  send  one  of 
your  party  to  guide  Pierre  to  the  place  where  I  shall  be. 
You  will  bring  your  pistols  and  knives  with  you,  and  if 
I  come  down  and  tell  you  to  move  forward,  you  will  do  so 
as  noiselessly  as  possible." 

"Shall  we  come  at  once,  captain?"  Andr^  asked. 

"  No,  you  had  better  He  down  with  the  two  who  are  to 
come  with  you  and  sleep  till  nine  o'clock.  I  will  come  at 
that  hour.  We  will  say  one  o'clock  instead  of  twelve  for  the 
watch  to  be  changed ;  that  will  make  a  more  even  division 
for  the  night.'* 

Going  out  again,  Leigh  inquired  where  the  cannon  had 


90  NO   SURRENDER 

been  placed.  They  were  on  an  eminence  outside  the  town, 
and  commanded  the  road  by  which  Berriiyer's  column  would 
advance.  Strolling  up  there,  he  saw  Bruno  lying  asleep 
between  two  of  the  guns,  of  which  there  were  five. 

"It  seems  all  right,"  he  said  to  himself,  "and  as  he  cannot 
walk  off  with  them,  I  don't  see  what  his  plan  can  be  — 
that  is,  if  he  has  a  plan.  However,  there  is  no  harm  in 
keeping  watch.  The  guns  are  against  the  sky-line,  and 
lying  down  fifty  yards  away,  we  shall  be  able  to  see  if  he 
does  anything  with  them.  Of  course  he  might  spike  them, 
but  I  don't  suppose  that  he  would  risk  that,  for  the  spikes 
might  be  noticed  the  first  thing  in  the  morning.  I  don't 
think  that  it  would  do  for  him  to  try  that.  It  seemed  a 
stupid  thing  even  to  doubt  him,  but,  half-drunk  as  he  was, 
he  certainly  was  in  earnest  in  what  he  said,  and  does  believe 
that  he  is  going  to  be  a  rich  man,  and  I  don't  see  how  that 
can  possibly  come  about  except  by  some  act  of  treachery. 
At  any  rate  we  will  keep  an  eye  upon  the  fellow  to-night, 
and  if  we  are  not  posted  in  any  particular  spot  to-morrow, 
I  will  be  up  here  with  my  band  when  the  firing  begins  and 
keep  my  eye  on  him." 

He  spent  three  or  four  hours  with  Jean  Martin,  and  then 
went  back  to  his  quarters.  Andre  and  two  of  the  lads  were 
in  readiness.  They  moved  out  quietly,  for  the  street  was 
thick  with  sleeping  peasants.  There  were  no  sentries  to  be 
seen. 

"  If  the  enemy  did  but  know,"  he  muttered  to  himself, 
"they  might  take  the  place  without  firing  a  shot."  Pres- 
ently, however,  he  came  upon  an  officer. 

"Where  are  you  going?"  he  asked  sharply. 

"  I  am  Leigh  Stansfield,  and  am  going  with  three  of  my 
party  to  keep  watch  near  the  guns." 

"  That  is  good,"  the  officer  said.     "  I  am  on  duty  here, 


CHECKING   THE   ENEMY  91 

and  Jean  Martin  has  just  ridden  out ;  he  is  going  a  couple 
of  miles  along  the  road,  and  will  give  the  alarm  if  he  hears 
any  movement  of  the  enemy.  When  he  gets  within  half  a 
mile  he  is  to  fire  off  his  pistols,  and  I  shall  have  time  to  get 
the  men  up  long  before  their  infantry  can  arrive.  We  have 
tried  in  vain  to  get  some  of  the  peasants  to  do  outpost 
duty ;  they  all  say  that  they  will  be  ready  to  fight  when  the 
enemy  comes,  but  they  want  a  good  sleep  first,  and  even 
Cathelineau  could  not  move  them.  It  is  heart-breaking  to 
have  to  do  with  such  men." 

"I  do  not  think  that  it  is  laziness,  it  is  that  they  have 
a  fixed  objection  to  doing  what  they  consider  any  kind  of 
soldier  work.  Their  idea  of  war  is  to  wait  till  the  enemy 
comes,  and  then  to  make  a  rush  upon  them,  and  when  they 
have  done  that  they  think  their  duty  is  ended.  Some  day, 
when  the  Blues  have  a  sharp  commander,  and  have  gained 
a  little  discipline,  we  shall  suffer  some  terrible  disaster  from 
the  obstinacy  of  the  peasantry." 

With  a  word  of  adieu  Leigh  turned  off  the  road,  and 
made  his  way  half-way  up  the  eminence.  Here  the  guns 
could  be  plainly  made  out.  Leaving  Andre  and  his  two 
followers  he  went  quietly  up  the  slope  to  assure  himself  that 
the  artilleryman  was  still  there.  Had  he  missed  him  he 
was  determined  to  go  at  once  to  Cathelineau,  and  state  his 
suspicions,  and  his  belief  that  Bruno  had  gone  off  to  inform 
Berruyer  that  if  he  advanced  he  would  find  the  place  wholly 
unguarded,  and  would  have  it  at  his  mercy.  He  found, 
however,  that  the  artilleryman  was  still  asleep,  and  returned 
to  Andre. 

"Now,"  he  said,  "  there  is  no  occasion  for  us  all  to  watch. 
I  with  one  of  the  others  will  keep  a  look-out  for  the  next 
two  hours,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  will  rouse  you  and 
the  others." 


92  NO    SURRENDER 

Leigh's  watch  had  passed  off  quietly,  there  was  no  move- 
ment among  the  guns,  and  from  the  position  in  which  Bruno 
was  lying  his  figure  would  have  been  seen  at  once  had  he 
risen  to  his  feet.  "  If  the  man  up  there  stands  up  you  are 
to  awaken  me  at  once,  Andr^,"  he  said.  Overcome  by  the 
excitement  and  the  heat  of  the  day,  Leigh  dropped  off  to 
sleep  almost  immediately.  An  hour  later  he  was  roused  by 
being  shaken  by  Andr^. 

"  The  man  has  got  up,  sir." 

The  artilleryman,  after  stretching  himself  two  or  three 
times,  took  up  something  from  the  ground  beside  him,  and 
then  went  some  distance  down  the  side  of  the  hill,  but  still 
in  sight  of  the  watchers. 

"  He  has  got  something  on  his  shoulder,  sir ;  I  think  it 
is  a  shovel,  and  he  has  either  a  cloak  or  a  sack  on  his 
arm." 

"  He  is  evidently  up  to  something,"  Leigh  replied,  "  but 
what  it  can  be  I  cannot  imagine." 

Presently  the  man  stopped  and  began  to  work. 

"  He  is  digging,"  Andr^  said  in  surprise. 

*'  It  looks  like,  it  certainly,  but  what  he  can  be  digging  for 
I  have  no  idea."  Presently  the  man  was  seen  to  raise  a 
heavy  weight  on  to  his  shoulders. 

"It  was  a  sack  he  had  with  him,"  Andr^  said,  *'and  he 
has  filled  it  with  earth  and  stones." 

Leigh  did  not  reply ;  the  mystery  seemed  to  thicken,  and 
he  was  unable  to  form  any  supposition  whatever  that  would 
account  for  the  man's  proceedings.  The  latter  carried  his 
burden  up  to  the  cannon,  then  he  laid  it  down,  and  took  up 
some  long  tool  and  thrust  it  into  the  mouth  of  one  of  the 
cannon.  A  light  suddenly  burst  upon  Leigh.  "  The  scoun- 
drel is  going  to  draw  the  charges,"  he  said,  ''and  fill  up 
the  cannon  with  the  earth  that  he  has  brought  up."     Andre 


CHECKING  THE    ENEMY  98 

would  have  leapt  to  his  feet  as  he  uttered  an  exclamation  of 
rage. 

"Keep  quiet!  "  Leigh  said  authoritatively;  "we  have  no 
evidence  against  him  yet ;  we  must  watch  him  a  bit  longer 
before  we  interrupt  him." 

After  two  or  three  movements  the  man  was  seen  to  draw 
something  from  the  gun.  This  he  laid  on  the  ground  and 
then  inserted  the  tool  again. 

"That  is  the  powder,"  Leigh  whispered,  as  something 
else  was  withdrawn  from  the  gun ;  "  there,  you  see  he  is 
taking  handfuls  of  earth  from  the  sack  and  shoving  it  into 
the  mouth." 

This  was  continued  for  some  time,  and  then  a  rammer  was 
inserted  and  pushed  home  several  times.  Then  he  moved 
to  the  next  cannon. 

"  Now  follow  very  quietly,  Andre  ;  busy  as  he  is,  we  may 
get  quite  close  up  to  him  before  he  notices  us.  Mind,  you 
are  not  to  use  your  knife ;  we  can  master  him  easily  enough, 
and  must  then  take  him  down  to  Cathelineau  for  his  fate  to 
be  decided  on." 

Noiselessly  they  crept  up  the  hill ;  when  within  five  or  six 
paces  of  the  gun  at  which  Bruno  was  at  work,  Leigh  gave 
the  word,  and  leaping  up  they  threw  themselves  on  the 
traitor,  who  was  taken  so  completely  by  surprise  that  they 
were  able  to  throw  him  at  once  to  the  ground.  Snatching 
up  a  rope  that  had  been  used  for  drawing  the  guns,  Leigh 
bound  his  arms  securely  to  his  side,  and  then  putting  a 
pistol  to  his  head  ordered  him  to  rise  to  his  feet. 

"Shoot  me  if  you  like/"  the  man  growled;  "I  will  not 
move." 

"  I  will  not  shoot  you,"  Leigh  replied ;  "  you  must  be 
tried  and  condemned.     Now,  Andre,  we  must  carry  him." 

The  four  boys  had  no  difificulty  in  carrying  the  man  down. 


94  NO   SURRENDER 

As  they  passed  the  officer  on  sentry,  he  said,  "  Whom  have 
you  there,  Monsieur  Stansfield?" 

"  It  is  Bruno,  the  artilleryman.  We  have  caught  him 
drawing  the  charges  from  the  guns,  and  filling  them  with 
earth.     We  must  take  him  to  the  general." 

"  The  villain  !  "  the  officer  exclaimed.  "  Who  would  have 
thought  of  a  Vendean  turning  traitor?  " 

Cathelineau  was  still  up  talking  with  some  of  his  officers 
as  to  the  preparations  for  the  battle.  There  was  no  sentry 
at  his  door ;  Leigh  entered,  and  tapping  at  the  door  of  the 
room  in  which  he  saw  a  light,  went  in.  Cathelineau  looked 
up  in  surprise  as  the  door  opened. 

"I  thought  you  were  asleep  hours  ago,  monsieur,"  he 
said. 

^'It  is  well  that  I  have  not  been,  sir."  And  he  related 
the  conversation  that  he  had  overheard,  and  his  own  sus- 
picions that  the  man  Bruno  meditated  treachery,  the  steps 
they  had  taken  to  watch  him,  and  the  discovery  they  had 
made.  Exclamations  of  indignation  and  fury  broke  from  the 
officers. 

"  Gentlemen,"  CatheHneau  said,  "  we  will  at  once  proceed 
to  try  this  traitor ;  he  shall  be  judged  by  men  of  his  own 
class.  Monsieur  Pourcet,  do  you  go  out  and  awaken  the 
first  twelve  peasants  you  come  to." 

In  a  minute  or  two  the  officer  returned  with  the  peasants, 
who  looked  surprised  at  having  been  thus  roused  from  their 
sleep. 

"  My  friends,  do  you  take  your  places  along  that  side  of 
the  room.  You  are  a  jury,  and  are  to  decide  upon  the 
guilt  or  innocence  of  a  man  who  is  accused  of  being  a 
traitor." 

The  word  roused  them  at  once,  and  all  repeated  indig- 
nantly the  word  "  traitor !  " 


LEIGH    GAVE   THE    WORD,    AND    LEAPING   UP   THEY    THREW 
THEMSELVES    ON   THE   TRAITOR." 


CHECKING  THE   ENEMY  95 

"  Monsieur  Stansfield,"  he  said  to  Leigh,  "  will  you  order 
your  men  to  bring  in  the  prisoner?" 

The  man  was  brought  in  and  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
table  opposite  to  Cathelineau.     . 

"  Now,  Monsieur  Stansfield,  will  you  tell  the  jury  the  story 
that  you  have  just  told  me  ?  " 

Leigh  repeated  his  tale,  interrupted  occasionally  by  ex- 
clamations of  fury  from  the  peasants.  Andr6  and  the  other 
lads  stepped  forward  one  after  the  other  and  confirmed 
Leigh's  statement. 

"Before  you  return  a  verdict,  my  friends,"  Cathehneau 
said  quietly,  "it  is  but  right  that  we  should  go  up  to  the 
battery  and  examine  the  cannon  ourselves ;  not,  of  course, 
that  we  doubt  the  statement  of  Monsieur  Stansfield  and  the 
other  witnesses,  but  because  it  is  well  that  each  of  you  should 
be  able  to  see  for  himself  and  report  to  others  that  you  have 
been  eye-witnesses  of  the  traitor's  plot.'' 

Accordingly  the  whole  party  ascended  to  the  battery. 
There  lay  the  spade  and  the  sack  of  earth ;  the  tool  with 
which  the  work  had  been  done  was  still  in  the  mouth  of  the 
second  cannon,  and  on  pulling  it  out,  the  powder-cartridge 
came  with  it.  Then  Leigh  led  them  to  the  next  gun,  and 
a  man  who  had  a  bayonet  thrust  it  in  and  soon  brought  some 
earth  and  stones  to  the  mouth  of  the  gun. 

"  We  have  now  had  the  evidence  of  Monsieur  Stansfield 
and  those  with  him  tested  by  ourselves  examining  the  guns. 
What  do  you  say,  my  friends  —  has  this  man  been  proved 
a  traitor  or  not  ?  " 

"  He  has  ! "  the  peasants  exclaimed  in  chorus. 

"  And  what  is  your  sentence  !  " 

"  Death  !  "  was  the  unanimous  reply. 

"  I  approve  of  that  sentence.  March  him  down  to  the 
side  of  the  river  and  shoot  him." 


96  NO   SURRENDER 

Three  minutes  later  four  musket-shots  rang  out. 

"Thus  die  all  traitors  !  "  Cathelineau  said. 

Bruno,  however,  was  the  sole  Vend^an  who  during  the 
course  of  the  war  turned  traitor  to  his  comrades  and  his 
country. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE   ASSAULT   OF   CHEMILL^ 

FEW  words  were  spoken  as  the  group  of  officers  returned 
to  the  town.  When  they  reached  Cathelineau's  quar- 
ters Leigh  would  have  gone  on,  but  the  general  said,  "  Come 
in,  if  you  please,  Monsieur  Stansfield,"  and  he  followed  the 
party  in. 

"This  has  been  a  trial,  gentlemen,  a  heavy  trial,''  the 
general  said.  "  When  I  entered  upon  this  work  I  knew  that 
that  there  were  many  things  that  I  should  have  to  endure. 
I  knew  the  trouble  of  forming  soldiers  from  men  who,  like 
ours,  prize  their  freedom  and  independence  above  all  other 
things ;  that  we  might  have  to  suffer  defeat ;  that  we  must 
meet  with  hardships  and  probably  death ;  and  that  in  the 
long  run  all  our  efforts  might  be  futile.  But  I  had  not 
reckoned  on  having  to  deal  with  treachery.  I  had  never 
dreamed  that  one  of  my  first  acts  would  have  been  to  try 
and  to  sentence  a  Vendean  to  death  for  an  act  of  the  grossest 
treachery.  However,  let  us  put  that  aside  ;  it  was  perhaps 
in  the  nature  of  things.  In  every  community  there  must  be 
a  few  scoundrels,  and  if  this  turns  out  to  be  a  solitary  in- 
stance, we  may  congratulate  ourselves,  especially  as  we  have 
escaped  without  injury. 

"  That  we  have  done  so,  gentlemen,  is  due  solely  to 
Monsieur  Stansfield,  who  thus  twice  in  the  course  of  a  single 


THE   ASSAULT   OF    CHEMILL^  97 

day  has  performed  an  inestimable  service  to  to  the  cause. 
There  are  few  indeed  who,  on  liearing  the  braggadocio  of 
a  drunken  man,  would  have  given  the  matter  a  moment's 
thought,  still  less  have  undertaken  a  night  of  watchfulness 
after  a  day  of  the  heaviest  work  merely  to  test  the  truth 
of  a  slightly-founded  suspicion  that  might  have  occurred  to 
them.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  had  not  this  act 
of  treachery  been  discovered  our  defeat  to-morrow  would 
have  been  well-nigh  certain.  You  know  how  much  our 
people  think  of  their  guns,  and  if,  when  the  fight  began, 
the  cannon  had  been  silent  instead  of  pouring  their  contents 
into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  they  would  have  lost  heart 
at  once,  and  would  have  been  beaten  almost  before  the  fight 
began.  We  have  no  honours  to  bestow  on  you,  Monsieur 
Stansfield,  but  in  the  name  of  La  Vendee  I  thank  you  with 
all  my  heart.  I  shall  add  to  my  order  respecting  your  fight 
of  yesterday  a  statement  of  what  has  taken  place  to-night, 
and  I  shall  beg  that  all  officers  read  it  aloud  to  the  parties 
that  follow  them." 

"  I  agree  most  cordially  with  the  general's  words,"  M. 
Bonchamp  said.  "  Your  defence  yesterday  would  have 
been  a  credit  to  any  military  man,  and  this  discovery 
has  saved  us  from  ruin  to-morrow,  or  rather  to-day.  I 
will  venture  to  say  that  not  one  man  in  five  hundred 
would  have  taken  the  trouble  to  go  out  of  his  way  to 
ascertain  whether  the  words  of  a  drunken  man  rested  on 
any  foundation." 

There  was  then  a  short  conversation  as  to  the  approach- 
ing fight.  The  number  of  men  who  had  arrived  was  much 
smaller  than  had  been  anticipated,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
the  simultaneous  invasion  at  so  many  points  had  the  effect 
of  retaining  the  peasants  of  the  various  localities  for  the 
defence  of  their  own  homes.     Leigh  learned  that  a  mounted 

7 


98  NO   SURRENDER 

messenger  had  been  despatched  shortly  before  he  brought 
the  prisoner  down  to  beg  Monsieur  d'Elb^e  to  bring  the  force 
he  commanded  at  Chollet  with  all  speed  to  aid  in  the  de- 
fence of  Chemille,  for  if  that  town  fell  he  would  be  exposed 
to  the  attack  of  the  united  forces  of  Generals  Berruyer  and 
Leigonyer. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,  I  think  we  had  better  get  a  few  hours' 
sleep,"  Cathehneau  said.  "They  will  not  be  here  very 
^arly,  probably  not  until  noon,  for  they  may  wait  for  a 
time  before  starting,  in  hopes  of  being  joined  either  by 
Leigonyer  or  one  of  the  other  columns,  and  it  is  not  likely 
that  any  news  of  the  sharp  reverse  that  Leigonyer  has  met 
with  has  reached  them." 

It  was  now  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  Leigh  slept 
heavily  till  roused  at  eight. 

"You  should  have  called  me  before,  Andre,"  he  said 
reproachfully  when  he  learnt  how  late  it  was. 

"I  thought  it  was  better  that  you  should  have  a  good 
sleep,  captain.  Of  course,  if  there  had  been  any  message 
to  say  that  you  were  wanted  I  should  have  woke  you,  but 
as  no  one  came,  and  there  is  still  no  news  of  the  enemy, 
I  thought  that  it  was  better  to  let  you  sleep  till  now." 

Pierre  had  started  with  his  party  at  five  to  scout  on  the 
road  by  which  the  enemy  was  advancing.  Leigh  first  hurried 
down  to  the  river  and  had  a  bath,  and  then  felt  ready  for 
any  work  that  he  might  have  to  do.  He  then  went  to  the 
house  where  Jean  was  lodged.  The  latter,  who  had  not 
returned  fi-om  his  outpost  work  till  day  broke,  was  just 
getting  up. 

"Well,  Leigh,"  he  said,  "I  called  in  at  Cathelineau's 
quarters  to  report.  I  found  him  already  up.  He  told  me 
the  work  that  you  had  been  doing,  and  praised  you  up  to 
the   skies.     It  seems  to  me  that  you  are  getting  all  the 


THE   ASSAULT   OF   CHEMILLfe  99 

credit  of  the  campaign.  Really  I  feel  quite  proud  of  you, 
and  we  shall  be  having  you  starting  as  a  rival  leader  to 
Cathelineau." 

Leigh  laughed. 

"  One  does  not  often  have  two  such  opportunities  in  the 
course  of  a  day,  and  I  don't  suppose  I  am  likely  to  have 
such  luck  again  if  the  war  goes  on  for  a  year.  Where  are 
you  going  to  be  to-day  ?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  act  as  aide-de-camp  to  Bonchamp." 

**  And  what  shall  we  do,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"Well,  I  should  say  you  had  best  keep  out  of  it  alto- 
gether, Leigh.  You  and  your  band  did  much  more  than 
your  share  of  fighting  yesterday,  and  your  pistols  will 
be  of  no  use  in  a  fight  such  as  this  will  be.  Seriously, 
unless  Cathelineau  assigns  you  some  post  I  should  keep  out 
of  it.  Your  little  corps  is  specially  formed  to  act  as  scouts, 
and  as  we  are  so  extremely  badly  off  in  that  respect,  it  will 
be  far  better  for  you  to  keep  to  your  proper  duties  than  to 
risk  your  lives." 

"  How  do  you  think  the  fight  is  likely  to  go,  Jean  ?  '^ 

"  It  depends  in  the  first  place  upon  how  the  Blues  fight ; 
if  they  do  well  they  ought  to  beat  us.  In  the  next  place, 
it  depends  on  whether  d'Elb^e  comes  up  in  time.  If  he  does, 
I  think  that  we  shall  hold  the  place,  but  it  will  be  stiff 
fighting." 

It  was  not  until  noon  that  Berruyer's  force  was  seen 
approaching.  As  soon  as  it  was  in  sight  the  Vend^ans 
poured  out  and  took  up  their  station  by  the  hill  on  which 
the  guns  were  placed.  In  spite  of  what  Jean  had  said, 
Leigh  would  have  placed  his  band  with  the  rest,  had  not 
Cathelineau  sent  for  him  half  an  hour  before  and  given  him 
orders  which  were  almost  identical  with  the  advice  of  Jean. 

**  I  wish  you  and  your  band  to  keep  out  of  this  batde, 


100  NO   SURRENDER 

Monsieur  Stansfield.  Your  force  is  so  small  that  it  can 
make  no  possible  difference  in  the  fortunes  of  the  day,  and 
whether  we  win  or  lose,  your  lads  may  be  wanted  as 
messengers  after  it  is  over.  They  have  done  extremely  well 
at  present,  and  need  no  further  credit  than  they  have  gained. 
I  beg,  therefore,  that  you  will  take  post  with  them  some- 
what in  rear  of  the  village,  away  on  the  right.  I  shall  then 
know  where  to  find  you  if  I  have  any  messages  to  send  ; 
and  moreover,  I  want  you  at  once  to  send  off  one  of  your 
most  active  lads  with  this  note  to  d'Elbee  urging  him  to 
come  on  at  full  speed,  for  the  fight  is  likely  to  go  hard  with 
us  unless  he  comes  in  time  to  our  assistance,  and  telling 
him  I  wish  him  to  know  that,  even  if  I  have  to  fall  back, 
the  church  will  be  held  till  the  last,  and  that  as  soon  as  he 
arrives  I  shall,  if  possible,  again  take  the  offensive,  and 
beg  that  he  will  attack  the  enemy  in  flank  or  in  rear  as  he 
sees  an  opportunity.  Upon  the  belfry  of  the  church,  half 
a  mile  on  our  right,  you  will  be  able  to  see  how  the  battle 
goes,  and  can  send  off  news  to  d'Elbee  from  time  to  time." 

"Very  well,  sir.  I  will  despatch  your  letter  at  once  and 
then  march  out  to  the  church,  which  I  noticed  yesterday." 

"  Here  is  a  telescope,"  Cathelineau  said.  "  We  are  well 
provided  with  them,  as  we  took  all  that  we  could  find  at 
ChoUet  and  Vihiers.  I  think  that  with  its  aid  you  will  be 
able  to  have  a  good  view  of  what  is  going  on." 

In  twenty  minutes  Leigh  had  taken  up  his  post  in  the 
belfry  of  the  village  church  that  Cathelineau  had  indicated. 
Andre  and  Pierre,  whose  party  had  returned  an  hour 
before,  were  with  him.  The  rest  of  the  band  were  in  the 
story  below  them,  from  which  a  view  was  also  obtainable. 
The  three  most  severely  wounded  had  started  for  their 
homes  early  that  morning,  the  others  were  fit  for  duty. 
The  fight  began  by  a  discharge  of  the  guns  of  the  assailants- 


THE    ASSAULT   OF    CHEMILL^  101 

Leigh  could  see  that  the  defenders'  guns  had  been  some- 
what withdrawn  from  their  position  on  the  top  of  the  rising 
ground,  where  they  would  have  been  too  much  exposed  to  the 
enemy's  fire,  and  their  muzzles  now  only  showed  over  the 
brow.  During  the  course  of  the  morning  an  earthwork 
had  been  thrown  up  to  afford  protection  to  the  men  serving 

■  them.  They  did  not  return  the  fire  until  the  enemy  were 
within  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  then  they  com- 
menced with  deadly  effect. 

The  Blues  halted,  and  Leigh  could  make  out  that  a  con- 
siderable number  of  men  in  the  rear  at  once  turned  and 
ran.  In  order  to  encourage  them,  they  had  been  informed 
just  before  they  marched  of  the  plot  that  had  been  arranged 
to  silence  the  guns,  and  this  unexpected  discharge  caused 
the  greatest  consternation  among  the  young  levies.  A 
body  of  cavalry  were  at  once  sent  off  in  pursuit,  and  drove 
the  fugitives  back  to  their  ranks,  the  troopers  using  the 
flats  of  their  swords  unstintingly.     Then  the  advance  was 

/esumed,  covered  by  the  fire  of  the  guns  and  by  volleys 
of  musketry.  These  were  answered  but  feebly  by  the  fire- 
arms in  the  peasants'  hands,  and  the  Blues  pressed  on  until, 
just  before  they  reached  the  foot  of  the  slope,  the  peasants 
charged  them  with  fury.  The  regular  troops  and  a  regi- 
ment of  gendarmes  had  been  placed  in  front.  These  stood 
firm,  poured  heavy  volleys  into  the  peasants  as  they 
approached,  and  then  received  them  with  levelled  bayonets. 
In  vain  the  Vendeans  strove  to  break  through  the  hedge 
of  steel.  Cathelineau  and  his  officers  on  one  side,  and  the 
French  generals  on  the  other,  encouraged  their  men,  and 
for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  a  desperate  conflict  reigned,  then 
the  peasants  fell  back,  and  the  Blues  resumed  their  advance. 
Three  times  Cathelineau  induced  his  followers  to  renew  the 

I  attack,  but  each  time  it  was  unsuccessful.  The  Blues 
1 


I 


102  NO   SURRENDER 

mounted  the  hill,  the  cannon  were  captured,  and  the 
Vend^ans  fell  back  into  the  town.  Here  the  ends  of  the 
streets  had  been  barricaded,  and  in  spite  of  the  artillery  and 
the  captured  guns  now  turned  against  their  former  owners, 
the  assailants  tried  in  vain  to  force  their  way  into  the  town. 
From  every  window  that  commanded  the  approaches  the 
men  with  muskets  kept  up  an  incessant  fire.  The  mass  of 
the  peasants  lay  in  shelter  behind  the  barricades  or  in  the 
houses  until  the  enemy's  infantry  approached  to  within 
striking  distance,  and  then,  leaping  up  from  these  barricades, 
and  fighting  with  an  absolute  disregard  of  their  lives,  they 
again  and  again  repulsed  the  attacks  of  the  enemy. 

Berruyer,  seeing  that  in  spite  of  his  heavy  losses  he  made 
no  way,  called  his  troops  from  the  assault,  and  forming 
them  into  two  columns,  moved  to  the  right  and  left,  and 
attacked  the  town  on  both  sides.  Here  no  barricades  had 
been  erected,  and  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  peasants 
an  entrance  was  forced  into  the  town.  Every  street,  lane, 
and  house  was  defended  with  desperate  energy,  but  dis? 
cipline  gradually  triumphed,  and  the  Blues  won  their  way 
into  the  square  in  the  centre  of  the  town  where  the  principal 
church  stood.  As  they  entered  the  open  space  they  were 
assailed  with  a  rain  of  bullets  from  the  roof,  tower,  and 
windows.  As  soon  as  the  flanking  movement  began, 
Monsieur  Bonchamp,  seeing  that  the  town  was  now  certain 
to  be  taken,  had  hurried  with  the  greater  portion  of  the 
men  armed  with  muskets  to  the  church,  which  had  already 
been  prepared  by  him  on  the  previous  day  for  the  defence. 

A  great  number  of  paving  stones  had  been  got  up  from 
the  roadway  and  piled  inside  the  church,  and  as  soon  as  he 
arrived  there  with  his  men  the  doors  were  closed  and 
blocked  behind  with  a  deep  wall  of  stones.  Berruyer  saw 
that  the  position  was  a  formidable  one,  and  ignorant  of  the 


THE   ASSAULT   OF   CHEMILLjfe  103 

number  of  the  defenders,  sent  back  for  his  guns  and  con- 
tented himself  for  the  time  by  clearing  the  rest  of  the  town 
of  its  defenders.  These,  however,  as  they  issued  out  were 
rallied  by  Cathelineau  and  his  officers.  They  assured  the 
peasants  that  the  day  was  not  yet  lost,  that  the  church 
would  hold  out  for  hours,  and  that  d'Elbee  would  soon 
arrive  with  his  force  from  Chollet  to  their  assistance. 
Leigh,  anxiously  watching  the  progress  of  the  fight,  had 
sent  messenger  after  messenger  along  the  road  by  which 
d'Elbde  would  come.  His  heart  sank  as  he  heard  the  guns 
open  in  the  centre  of  the  town  and  knew  that  they  were 
directed  against  the  church.  Still  there  was  no  abatement 
of  the  fire  of  the  defenders ;  an  incessant  fire  of  musketry 
was  maintained,  not  only  from  the  church  itself,  but  from 
every  window  in  the  houses  around  it.  At  last  he  heard 
that  d'Elb^e's  force  was  but  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  and 
running  down  from  his  look-out,  he  started  to  meet  it. 
It  was  coming  at  a  run,  the  men  panting  and  breathless, 
but  holding  on  desperately,  half-maddened  with  the  sound 
of  battle. 

"  All  is  not  lost  yet,  then  ?  "  d'Elbee  said,  as  he  came  up. 

"  No,  sir,  the  church  holds  out,  and  I  could  see  that 
the  peasants  who  have  been  driven  out  of  the  town  have 
rallied  but  a  few  hundred  yards  away,  and  are  evidently 
only  waiting  for  your  arrival  to  renew  the  attack.  I  think, 
sir,  that  if  you  will  run  up  to  the  belfry  of  the  church  with 
this  glass  you  will  be  able  to  understand  the  exact  situa- 
tion.'' 

The  officer  ran  up  the  tower  and  returned  in  two  or  three 
minutes.  Then  he  led  his  men  down  towards  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  the  town. 

Leigh,  on  hearing  that  d'Elbee  was  close  at  hand,  sent 
off  two  messengers  to  Cathelineau  to  inform   him  of  the 


104  NO   SURRENDER 

fact,  and  he  now  sent  off  another  stating  the  direction  in 
which  the  reinforcement  was  marching. 

"  I  am  going  to  attack  at  that  corner  instead  of  in  the 
rear,"  Monsieur  d'Elbee  said  to  him ;  for  now  that  the 
duty  assigned  to  him  had  been  performed,  Leigh  thought 
that  he  would  be  justified  in  joining  in  the  attack  with  what 
remained  of  his  band.  "  If  I  were  to  get  directly  in  their 
rear  they  would,  on  finding  their  retreat  cut  off,  fight  so 
fiercely  that  I  might  be  overpowered  —  even  the  most 
cowardly  troops  will  fight  under  these  circumstances ; 
therefore,  while  threatening  their  line  of  retreat,  I  still 
leave  it  open  to  them.  It  is  a  maxim  in  war,  you  know, 
always  to  leave  a  bridge  open  for  a  flying  foe." 

In  a  few  minutes  they  reached  the  town.  None  had 
observed  their  approach,  the  troops  being  assembled  round 
the  church.  These  were  at  once  thrown  into  confusion 
when  they  found  themselves  attacked  with  fury  by  a  large 
force,  of  whose   existence  they  had  no  previous  thought. 

The  Vendeans  fought  with  desperate  valour.  The  new 
levies  for  the  most  part  lost  heart  at  once,  and  in  spite  of 
the  efforts  of  Berruyer  and  his  officers,  began  to  make  for 
the  line  of  retreat.  The  movement  was  accelerated  by  an 
outburst  of  shouts  from  the  other  side  of  the  town,  where 
Cathelineau's  force  poured  in,  burning  to  avenge  their 
former  losses  ;  and  as  they  fell  upon  the  enemy,  Bonchamp 
led  out  the  defenders  of  the  church  by  a  side  door  and 
joined  in  the  fray.  Berruyer  saw  that  all  was  lost.  By 
great  efforts  he  kept  together  the  gendarmes  and  regular 
troops  to  cover  the  retreat,  and  fell  back  fighting  fiercely. 
Bonchamp  and  his  musketeers  pressed  hotly  upon  them. 
The  peasants  made  charge  after  charge,  and  as  soon  as  the 
force  issued  from  the  town  many  of  the  peasantry  set  off 
at  full   speed  in  pursuit  of  the  fugitives,  great  numbers  of 


THE   ASSAULT  OF   CHEMILL1&  105 

whom  were  overtaken  and  killed.  Berruyer  continued  his 
retreat  all  night,  and  entered  St.  Lambert  before  morning, 
having  lost  the  whole  of  his  cannon  and  three  thousand  men 
in  this  disastrous  fight. 

The  joy  of  the  Vendeans  was  unbounded.  The  stones 
were  speedily  removed  from  the  shattered  doors  of  the 
church,  mass  was  celebrated,  and  the  peasants  returned 
thanks  for  their  great  victory.  The  gains  were  indeed 
considerable.  Three  thousand  muskets  had  fallen  into  their 
hands.  They  had  recaptured  the  guns  that  they  had  lost  and 
taken  twelve  others.  Their  own  losses  had  been  heavy  — 
eighteen  hundred  men  had  been  killed,  and  a  great  number 
wounded.  But  of  this  at  the  time  they  thought  but  little ; 
those  who  had  died  had  died  for  their  country  and  their  God, 
as  all  of  them  were  ready  to  do,  and  how  could  men  do  more  ? 

On  the  Republican  side  General  Duhaus  had  been  very 
dangerously  wounded,  and  most  of  Berruyer's  principal 
officers  killed.  A  council  of  war  was  held  the  next  morning 
at  Chemille.  For  the  moment  the  victory  had  secured  their 
safety ;  but  while  the  peasants  believed  and  hoped  that  the 
war  was  over,  their  leaders  saw  that  the  position  was 
scarcely  improved.  They  had,  indeed,  captured  guns  and 
muskets,  but  these  were  useless  without  ammunition,  and 
their  stock  of  powder  and  ball  was  quite  exhausted.  Already 
the  peasantry  were  leaving  in  large  numbers  for  their  homes. 
Berruyer  might  return  reinforced  at  any  time  and  effect  a 
junction  with  Leigonyer,  while  the  column  that  had  cap- 
tured St.  Florent  would  doubtless  advance.  It  was  there- 
fore decided  that  Chemille  must  be  abandoned,  and  that 
the  officers  should  retire  to  TifTauges  until,  at  any  rate, 
the  peasants  were  ready  to  leave  their  homes  again.  By 
evening  that  day  the  greater  portion  of  the  army  had 
melted  away,  and  on  the   following  morning  the   leaders 


106  NO   SURRENDER 

also  left  the  town  they  had  so  bravely  defended.  On  the 
following  day,  indeed,  Berruyer,  having  learned  the  position 
of  Leigonyer,  returned  to  Chemille,  and,  two  days  later, 
was  in  communication  with  Leigonyer's  force.  The  latter 
had  occupied  Chollet,  which  had  been  left  devoid  of  de- 
fenders since  the  day  they  marched  away. 

On  the  other  hand  Quetineau  had,  on  the  thirteenth,  been 
attacked  at  Aubiers,  and  had  been  forced  to  evacuate  the 
place,  leaving  three  guns  behind  him,  retiring  to  Bressuire. 
The  capture  of  Aubiers  was  the  work  of  Henri  de  la  Roche- 
jaquelein.  He  had  ridden  to  join  Cathelineau,  and  met 
him  and  the  other  leaders  retiring  from  Chemille'.  They 
were  gloomy  and  depressed.  They  had  won  a  battle,  but 
they  were  without  an  army,  without  ammunition.  Almost 
all  the  towns  were  in  the  possession  of  the  Blues.  It  seemed 
to  them  that  the  struggle  could  not  be  much  longer  main- 
tained. The  young  count  was  too  energetic  and  too  en- 
thusiastic to  be  seriously  moved,  and  rode  back  to  the 
residence  of  an  aunt  at  St.  Aubin.  There  he  learned  that 
Aubiers  had  been  taken  by  the  enemy.  The  peasantry 
around  were  in  a  state  of  extreme  excitement.  They  had 
hoisted  the  white  flag  on  their  churches,  and  were  ready  to 
fight,  but  they  had  no  leader. 

Hearing  that  Rochejaquelein  was  at  his  aunt's  house, 
they  came  to  him,  and  begged  him  to  take  the  command, 
promisiiig  him  that  in  twenty-four  hours  ten  thousand  men 
should  be  ready  to  follow  him.  He  agreed  to  the  request. 
The  church  bells  were  set  ringing,  and  before  morning 
almost  that  number  were  assembled.  Of  these  only  two 
hundred  had  guns.  With  this  force  he  attacked  Aubiers. 
The  resistance  of  the  enemy  was  feeble,  and  they  were 
chased  almost  to  Bressuire.  Rochejaquelein  was  very 
anxious  to  capture  this  town,  as  his  friends,  the  Lescures, 


THE   ASSAULT   OF   CHEMILL^  107 

had  been  brought  from  Qisson  and  imprisoned  there,  but  he 
saw  that  it  was  of  primary  importance  to  carry  assistance 
to  Cathelineau,  and  he  accordingly  marched  to  Tiffauges. 
The  church  bells  again  rang  out  their  summons,  and  Cathe- 
lineau in  twenty-four  hours  found  himself  at  the  head  of  an 
army  of  twenty  thousand  men. 

"  I  told  you  at  Clisson  that  I  should  soon  meet  you  again, 
Monsieur  Martin,"  La  Rochejaquelein  said  when,  as  he  rode 
into  Tiffauges  at  the  head  of  his  newly  raised  force,  he  met 
Jean  in  the  street,  "  and  here  I  am,  you  see.  I  am  only 
sorry  that  I  am  too  late  to  take  part  in  the  brave  fight  at 
Chemill^." 

"Right  glad  are  we  to  see  you,  count,"  Jean  replied. 
*'  This  is  my  wife's  brother  of  whom  I  was  speaking  to  you 
at  Clisson.  Cathelineau  will  tell  you  that  he  has  been  dis- 
tinguishing himself  rarely." 

Henri  held  out  his  hand  to  Leigh  and  said  warmly,  "  I 
am  glad  to  know  you ;  it  would  be  a  shame  indeed  were 
any  Vendeans  to  remain  at  home  when  a  young  Englishman 
is  fighting  for  their  country.  I  hope  that  we  shall  be  great 
friends." 

"I  shall  be  glad  indeed  to  be  so,"  Leigh  replied  with 
equal  warmth,  for  he  was  greatly  struck  with  the  appear- 
ance of  the  young  soldier. 

Henri  de  la  Rochejaquelein  was  but  twenty-one  years 
old,  tall,  and  remarkably  handsome.  He  had  fair  hair  and  a 
noble  bearing.  His  father  had  been  a  colonel  in  the  army, 
and  he  himself  was  a  cavalry  officer  in  the  king's  guard. 
He  was  the  beau  ideal  of  a  dashing  hussar,  and  his  appear- 
ance was  far  more  English  than  French.  He  was  immensely 
popular,  his  manner  frank  and  pleasant,  and  he  was  greatly 
beloved  by  the  peasantry  on  his  family  estates. 

At  this  moment  Cathelineau  with  his  two  generals  came 


3  08  NO   SURRENDER 

up,  and  Leigh  retired  from  the  circle.  The  arrival  of  the 
young  count  with  his  strong  reinforcement  at  once  altered 
the  position.  The  leaders  who  had,  since  they  fell  back 
from  Chemill^,  been  depressed  and  almost  hopeless,  beamed 
with  satisfaction  as  they  talked  with  Henri,  whose  enthusiasm 
was  infectious. 

La  Rochejaquelein  accompanied  them  to  his  quarters. 
Hitherto  he  had  only  heard  rumours  of  the  fighting  at 
Chemille',  and  Cathelineau  now  gave  him  a  full  account  of 
the  affair.  Jean  Martin  had,  at  his  invitation,  accompanied 
him,  and  when  Cathelineau  had  finished,  Henri  turned  to 
him  and  said  : 

"  Indeed  you  did  not  exaggerate,  Monsieur  Martin,  when 
you  said  that  your  brother-in-law  had  already  distinguished 
himself;  in  fact,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  splendid 
defence  he  made  at  that  little  river,  where  he  held  Ber- 
ruyer*s  whole  force  in  check  for  upwards  of  three  hours, 
and  so  forced  him  to  halt  for  the  night  on  the  way,  instead 
of  pushing  forward  and  attacking  Chemille  at  once,  saved 
the  town,  for  it  gave  time  to  Monsieur  d'Elbee  to  come  up. 
Scarcely  less  important  was  his  detection  of  the  treachery 
of  the  man  in  charge  of  the  artillery.  I  cannot  but  regret 
that  so  gallant  a  young  fellow  is  not  my  countryman,  for  1 
should  have  felt  proud  of  one  so  daring  and  so  thoughtful. 
When  you  do  not  want  him  for  scouting  work,  Monsieur 
Cathelineau,  I  shall  get  you  to  lend  him  to  me.  I  should 
be  really  glad  to  have  him  by  my  side.  His  face  pleased 
me  much,  there  was  something  so  frank  and  honest  about 
it,  and  after  what  he  has  done  I  am  sure  that  I  shall  always 
respect  his  opinion.'^ 

There  was  another  consultation  as  to  what  should  be 
their  first  operation,  and  it  was  resolved  that  Leigonyer 
should  be  attacked  at  once  before  he  could  make  a  complete 


THE   ASSAULT    OF    CHEMILL^  109 

junction  with  Berruyer.  The  next  morning  at  daybreak 
the  whole  force  moved  off.  They  were  only  just  in  time, 
for  Berruyer  had  already  ordered  General  Gauvillier,  who 
commanded  the  force  that  had  captured  St.  Florent,  to 
advance  to  Beaupreau.  Berruyer  was  to  march  to  Vezins, 
and  he  himself  to  Jallais,  and  to  join  Leigonyer  at  May. 
On  the  previous  evening  Henri  had,  after  the  termination 
of  the  council,  requested  Jean  Martin  to  take  him  to  the 
house  where  Leigh  and  his  little  party  were  quartered. 

"  I  have  been  hearing  of  your  doings,"  he  said,  "  and  feel 
quite  jealous  that  you,  who  are,  I  hear,  four  years  younger 
than  myself,  should  have  done  so  much,  while  I,  with  all  my 
family  influence  and  connection,  should  as  yet  have  done 
nothing  but  chase  the  enemy  out  of  Aubiers.  How  is  it 
that  you,  who  have  had  no  training  as  a  soldier,  should  have 
conceived  the  idea  of  arresting  the  march  of  Berruyer's  army 
with  a  force  of  only  two  or  three  hundred  peasants  ?  " 

"It  was  a  mere  matter  of  common  sense,"  Leigh  said 
with  a  smile.  "  I  knew  that  it  was  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance that  Chemille  should  not  be  attacked  until  Cathelineau 
received  reinforcements.  At  first  I  had  no  thought  of 
doing  more  than  breaking  down  the  bridge,  and  of  perhaps 
checking  the  advanced  cavalry,  but  when  I  found  that  the 
peasants  who  came  along  were  quite  willing  to  aid,  it 
seemed  to  me  that  by  cutting  down  the  trees,  so  as  to 
block  the  road  and  make  a  shelter  for  us,  we  might  be  able 
to  cause  the  enemy  considerable  delay.  I  hardly  hoped 
to  succeed  in  holding  out  so  long  or  in  inflicting  such  loss 
upon  him  as  we  were  able  to  do.  It  did  not  require  any 
military  knowledge  whatever,  and  I  should  not  have  at- 
tempted it  had  I  not  seen  that,  thanks  to  the  forest,  we 
should  be  able  to  retreat  when  we  could  no  longer  hold  the 
barricade  of  felled  trees." 


110  NO   SURRENDER 

"  Well,  you  could  not  have  done  better  if  you  had  been 
a  general.  I  have  Cathelineau's  permission  to  ask  you 
to  ride  with  me  when  you  are  not  engaged  in  scout- 
ing." 

"  I  should  be  delighted  to  do  so,  but  at  present  I  have 
no  horse.  However,  I  can  send  one  of  my  lads  back  to 
the  chateau  to  fetch  the  one  that  I  generally  ride." 

"  I  have  brought  a  spare  animal  with  me,"  the  young 
count  said.  "  I  brought  it  in  case  the  other  should  be  shot, 
and  I  shall  be  glad  if  you  will  ride  it  to-morrow,  and  until 
yours  arrives ;  but  I  would  not  send  for  one  until  after  to- 
morrow, for  likely  enough  we  may  make  some  captures  before 
nightfall.  We  are  to  march  at  three  in  the  morning  and  to 
attack  Leigonyer.  The  great  thing  that  we  need  is  powder. 
Cathelineau  says  that  there  is  scarcely  a  charge  left  among 
his  men.  Mine  are  not  much  better  off.  We  should  have 
had  none  with  which  to  attack  Aubiers,  but  I  sent  off 
during  the  night  to  a  quarry  a  few  miles  from  my  aunt's, 
and  succeeded  in  getting  forty  pounds  of  blasting-powder. 
It  would  not  have  been  of  much  use  for  the  muskets,  but 
the  fact  of  its  being  powder  was  sufficient  to  encourage 
the  peasants ;  and  the  Blues  made  such  a  feeble  resistance 
that  its  quality  made  no  difference  to  us ;  it  enabled  those 
who  had  muskets  to  make  a  noise  with  them,  and  was 
just  as  effectual  in  raising  their  spirits  in  attacking  the 
Blues  as  if  it  had  been  the  finest  quality.  We  got  a  few 
hundred  cartridges  when  we  took  the  place,  but  that  will 
not  go  very  far,  and  I  hope  that  to-morrow  we  shall  be 
able  to  obtain  a  supply  from  the  enemy." 

Before  the  hour  for  starting  the  force  had  swelled  con- 
siderably. The  news  that  Monsieur  de  la  Rochejaquelein 
had  retaken  Aubiers,  and  had  come  with  twelve  thousand 
men  to  assist  Cathelineau,  spread  like  wildfire.    The  peasants 


THE   ASSAULT   OF   CHEMILLfe  111 

from  all  the  country  round  flocked  in,  and  when  they 
started  in  the  morning  the  united  force  had  swollen  to  over 
twenty  thousand  men.  As  soon  as  the  young  count  left 
him,  Leigh  sent  all  his  band,  under  his  lieutenants,  with 
orders  to  proceed  towards  Vezins,  to  ascertain  the  progress 
Leigonyer  had  made,  and  the  position  of  his  forces,  and  to 
send  back  news  to  him.  Just  as  the  army  was  starting 
one  of  the  boys  returned,  and  said  that  a  party  of  twelve 
cavalry  and  a  detachment  of  infantry  had  just  entered  the 
chateau  of  Crilloire.  Leigh  at  once  informed  Cathelineau, 
who  sent  off  a  hundred  and  fifty  men  to  capture  the 
place.  They  were  ordered  to  travel  at  the  top  of  their 
speed,  and  Jean  Martin  was  in  command  of  them. 

The  expedition  was  crowned  with  success.  The  infantry, 
who  had  been  stationed  outside  the  chateau,  fled  at  once. 
Their  commandant,  Villemet,  Leigonyer's  best  officer,  charged 
the  Venddans  with  his  little  body  of  cavalry.  He  was 
received  with  a  volley.  Two  of  his  men  were  killed,  and 
he  himself  and  nine  of  his  men  were  wounded.  He  man- 
aged, however,  to  burst  through  the  Vend^ans  and  to  over- 
take his  flying  infantry.  These  he  rallied  and  led  back  to 
the  chateau,  which  he  found  deserted,  for  Martin,  as  soon  as 
he  captured  the  place  and  cleared  it  of  the  enemy,  had 
gone  off  with  his  men  to  join  the  main  body.  Berruyer  had 
also  started  early,  and  sent  five  hundred  men  to  May, 
where  he  expected  Leigonyer  to  arrive  in  a  few  hours ;  but 
before  he  reached  the  town  the  Vend^ans  attacked  the 
advanced-guard  of  the  latter  general,  which  consisted  of  two 
companies  of  grenadiers.  These  old  soldiers  fought  well,  and 
threw  themselves  into  the  chateau  of  Bois-Groleau.  Leav- 
ing fifteen  hundred  men  to  surround  and  attack  the  chateau, 
the  main  army  pressed  forward.  Leigonyer,  hearing  of 
the  disaster,  sent  forward  two  thousand   men  to   succour 


112  NO   SURRENDER 

the  besieged  force,  but  the  Venddans  fell  upon  them,  and 
after  a  short  resistance  they  broke  and  fled  into  Vezins. 

The  arrival  of  the  fugitives  caused  a  panic  among  the 
whole  of  Leigonyer's  force  assembled  there,  and  they  fled 
precipitately,  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  of  the  regiment 
of  Finisterre  alone  remaining  steady,  and  these,  maintaining 
good  order,  covered  the  retreat  of  the  guns,  repulsing  the 
attacks  of  the  peasantry  who  pursued  them.  Fortunately 
for  the  Vendeans,  a  waggon  laden  with  barrels  of  powder 
was  left  behind  in  the  confusion  caused  by  their  ap- 
proach, and  proved  of  inestimable  value  to  them.  Had  the 
Vendeans  pursued  the  fugitives  with  vigour  the  force  would 
have  been  almost  annihilated,  but  Cathelineau,  learning 
from  Leigh's  scouts  that  Berruyer  was  already  approaching 
Vezins,  feared  to  be  taken  in  the  rear  by  him,  and  there- 
fore fell  back  to  May  and  Beaupr^au.  The  garrison  that 
defended  the  chateau  of  Bois-Groleau  repulsed  the  re- 
peated attacks  made  upon  them,  but  surrendered  on  the 
approach  of  the  main  army,  their  ammunition  and  the  food 
they  had  brought  with  them  in  their  haversacks  being 
entirely  exhausted. 

Berruyer,  on  his  arrival  at  Jallais,  heard  of  the  defeat  of 
Leigonyer,  and  marched  back  in  all  haste  to  Chemille. 
where  he  had  left  his  magazines.  On  hearing,  however, 
that  Leigonyer  on  his  arrival  at  Vihiers  had  been  deserted 
during  the  night  by  the  whole  of  his  troops,  and  finding 
himself  in  the  morning  with  but  a  hundred  and  fifty  men 
of  the  Finisterre  regiment,  had  evacuated  the  town  and 
retreated  to  Dou^,  Berruyer  wrote  to  him  to  endeavour  to 
gather  his  forces  together  again  and  to  return  to  Chemille. 
But  the  news  of  another  disaster  convinced  him  that 
he  could  not  maintain  himself  there.  The  Vendeans  had 
marched  without    delay  against   Beaupr^au    and  attacked 


THE  ASSAULT   OF   CHEMILL^  113 

Gauvillier.  That  general  had  already  heard  of  the  defeat 
of  Leigonyer  and  the  retreat  of  Berruyer.  His  force  was 
greatly  dispirited  at  the  news,  and  offered  but  a  feeble  resis- 
tance to  the  fierce  assault.  The  Blues  were  driven  out  of 
the  town  with  the  loss  of  their  five  cannon,  and  were  hotly 
pursued  to  St.  Florent,  losing  a  large  proportion  of  their 
numbers  on  the  way. 

The  news  of  this  fresh  disaster  convinced  Berruyer  that 
he  must  fall  back  without  delay,  and  he  accordingly  re- 
treated with  his  whole  force  to  St.  Lambert,  whence  he 
wrote  to  the  Convention  to  declare  the  impossibility  of 
doing  anything  without  large  reinforcements  of  regular 
troops,  as  no  dependence  whatever  could  be  placed  upon 
the  National  Guards  and  volunteers,  and  if  the  insurgents 
marched  against  him,  he  would  be  obliged  to  march  to 
Ponts-de-C^  in  order  to  cover  Angers,  where  the  alarm  of 
the  inhabitants  was  intense. 

Thus  the  invasion  that  was  to  crush  the  Vende'ans  failed 
altogether,  except  that  some  advantages  had  been  gained 
by  the  Blues  along  the  line  of  coast,  the  troops  being 
assisted  by  the  fleet ;  at  all  other  points  misfortune  had  at- 
tended them.  Quetineau  had  been  driven  from  Aubiers, 
and,  a  great  proportion  of  his  force  having  deserted,  he  held 
Bressuire  with  so  feeble  a  grasp  that  he  could  not  maintain 
himself  if  attacked.  Leigonyer's  army  had  practically 
ceased  to  exist,  as  had  that  which  had  advanced  from  St. 
Florent.  Berruyer  had  lost  three  thousand  men,  and  was 
back  again  at  the  point  from  which  he  had  started.  Chollet 
and  Vihiers  had  been  recovered  without  a  blow. 

As  the  result  of  his  failures,  Berruyer  was  recalled  to 
Paris,  tried  for  his  conduct,  and  narrowly  escaped  the 
guillotine. 

As    soon    as    Berruyer    retired,    Cathelineau    advanced 

& 


114  NO   SURRENDER 

against  Bressuire.  News  of  his  coming  at  once  scared 
the  Blues  from  the  town,  and  they  retreated  to  Thouars. 
They  did  not  even  wait  to  take  their  prisoners  with  them, 
and  as  soon  as  they  had  gone  the  Marquis  de  la  Lescure 
with  his  family  rode  off  to  their  chateau  at  Clisson. 
They  had  scarcely  arrived  there  when  la  Rochejaquelein 
arrived  and  acquainted  them  with  the  general  facts  of  the 
insurrection. 

"  Cathelineau's  army,"  he  said,  "  consists  of  twenty  thou- 
sand men,  and  on  any  emergency  it  would  swell  to  nearly 
twice  that  number.  Twelve  thousand  Bretons  had  crossed 
the  Loire,  and  were  on  their  way  to  join  him.  In  lower 
Poitou,  Charette  had  an  army  of  twenty  thousand,  and 
besides  these,  there  were  many  scattered  bands." 

Lescure  at  once  agreed  to  accompany  la  Rochejaquelein 
to  Bressuire,  and  the  Marquis  of  Donnissan,  Madame  Les- 
cure's  father,  arranged  to  follow  them  as  soon  as  he  had 
seen  his  wife  and  daughter  safely  placed  in  the  chateau 
of  de  la  Boulais. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  SHORT  REST 

LEIGH  STANSFIELD  had  ridden  with  Rochejaquelein 
during  the  march  of  the  army  to  Vezins,  and  from  there 
to  Bressuire.  He  was  charmed  with  his  companion,  who 
had  been  the  first  to  dash  with  a  few  other  mounted  gentle- 
men into  the  streets  of  Vezins,  and  who  had  thrown  himself 
with  reckless  bravery  upon  the  retreating  infantry,  and  as 
the  peasants  came  up,  had  led  them  to  the  attack  several 


A   SHORT   REST  115 

times,  until  Cathelineau's  orders,  that  the  pursuit  should  be 
pushed  no  farther,  reached  him. 

"That  sort  of  order  is  very  hard  to  obey,"  he  said  to 
Leigh.  "  However,  I  need  not  regret  that  these  brave 
fellows  should  escape  us ;  we  have  won  the  battle,  if  one 
can  call  it  a  battle,  and  I  honour  the  men  who,  when  all 
the  others  have  fled  like  sheep,  still  cling  together  and 
defend  their  guns.  At  least  a  hundred  of  them  have 
fallen  since  they  left  the  town,  and  we  have  lost  double 
that  number,  and  should  lose  at  least  as  many  more  before 
we  finally  overcame  their  opposition.  If  all  the  armies  of 
the  Republic  were  composed  of  such  stuff  as  this  regiment, 
I  fear  that  our  chance  of  defending  La  Vendue  successfully 
would  be  small  indeed." 

On  rejoining  Cathelineau,  and  hearing  his  reason  for 
calling  off  the  pursuit,  Henri  at  once  admitted  its  wisdom. 

"After  the  defeat  of  Leigonyer,  you  will  see  that 
Berruyer  will  not  long  be  able  to  maintain  himself  at 
Chemille,"  he  said ;  "  and  when  he  hears  the  news,  I  fancy 
that  he  will  retire  at  once,  for  he  will  know  well  enough 
that  it  will  be  useless  for  him  to  pursue  us.  Still,  if  he 
were  to  come  down  on  our  rear  as  we  advanced,  it  would 
have  a  bad  effect  upon  the  peasants,  and  it  is  much  better 
to  avoid  fighting  unless  under  circumstances  that  are 
almost  sure  to  give  us  victory.  We  can  almost  always 
choose  our  own  ground,  which  is  an  enormous  advantage 
in  a  country  like  this.  It  is  very  fortunate  that  it  is  so,  for 
we  certainly  could  not  raise  a  body  of  cavalry  that  could 
stand  against  those  of  the  line  ;  but  in  these  lanes  and 
thickets  they  have  no  superiority  in  that  respect,  for  no 
general  would  be  fool  enough  to  send  cavalry  into  places 
where  they  would  be  at  the  mercy  of  an  unseen  foe.  At  the 
same  time,  I  must  own  that  I  regretted  to-day  that  we  had 


116  NO   SURRENDER 

no  mounted  force.  With  but  a  squadron  or  two  of  my  old 
regiment,  not  a  man  of  Leigonyer's  force  would  have 
escaped,  for  the  country  here  is  open  enough  to  use  them, 
and  I  should  certainly  have  had  no  compunction  in  cutting 
down  the  rascals  who  are  always  shouting  for  blood,  and 
yet  are  such  arrant  cowards  that  they  fly  without  firing  a 
shot." 

The  day  after  the  capture  of  Bressuire  the  Vend^ans 
marched  against  Thouars,  to  which  town  Quetineau  had 
retreated  with  his  force.  Thouars  was  the  only  town  in 
La  Vendue  which  was  still  walled.  The  fortifications  were 
in  a  dilapidated  condition,  but  nevertheless  offered  a  con- 
siderable advantage  to  a  force  determined  upon  a  desperate 
resistance.  With  the  fugitives  from  Bressuire,  and  the  gar- 
rison already  in  Thouars,  Quetineau  was  at  the  head  of 
three  thousand  five  hundred  troops;  of  these,  however, 
comparatively  few  could  be  depended  upon.  The  succes- 
sive defeats  that  had  been  inflicted  on  the  troops  of  the 
Republic  by  the  Vendeans  had  entirely  destroyed  their 
morale ;  they  no  longer  felt  any  confidence  in  their  power 
to  resist  the  onslaught  of  the  peasants. 

Quetineau  himself  had  no  hope  of  making  a  successful 
resistance.  He  had  repeatedly  written  urgent  letters  to 
the  authorities  at  Paris  saying  that  nothing  could  be  done 
without  large  reinforcements  of  disciplined  troops,  and  that 
the  National  Guard  and  volunteers  were  worse  than  use- 
less, as  they  frequently  ran  at  the  first  shot,  and  excited 
the  hostility  of  the  people  generally  by  their  habits  of 
plundering.  Nevertheless,  the  old  soldier  determined  to 
resist  to  the  last,  however  hopeless  the  conflict ;  and  when 
the  Vendeans  approached  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning 
they  found  that  the  bridge  of  Viennes  was  barricaded 
and  guarded.     As  soon  as  they  attacked,  the  general  re- 


A   SHORT   REST  117 

inforced  the  defenders  of  the  bridge  by  his  most  trust- 
worthy troops,  a  battalion  three  hundred  and  twenty-five 
strong,  of  Marseillais,  and  a  battalion  of  the  National 
Guard  of  Nievre.  So  stoutly  was  the  post  held  that  the 
Vendean  general  saw  that  the  bridge  could  not  be  taken 
without  terrible  loss.  He  therefore  contented  himself  with 
keeping  up  a  heavy  fire  all  day  while  preparing  an  attack 
from  other  quarters. 

The  first  step  was  to  destroy  the  bridge  behind  the 
castle,  and  to  make  a  breach  in  the  wall  near  the  Paris 
gate,  thereby  cutting  off  the  garrison's  means  of  retreat. 
At  five  o'clock  a  large  body  of  peasantry  was  massed  for  an 
attack  on  the  bridge  at  Viennes,  and  its  defenders,  seeing 
the  storm  that  was  preparing,  retired  into  the  town.  The 
Vendeans  crossed  the  bridge,  but  as  they  approached  the 
walls,  they  were  attacked  by  a  battalion  of  the  National 
Guard  of  Deux  Sevres  and  a  body  of  gendarmes,  and, 
taken  by  surprise,  were  driven  back  some  distance.  Their 
leaders,  however,  speedily  rallied  them,  and  in  the  mean- 
time other  bodies  forced  their  way  into  the  town  at  sev- 
eral points.  To  avoid  a  massacre  of  his  troops,  Quetineau 
hoisted  the  white  flag.  On  this,  as  on  all  other  occasions 
in  the  northern  portion  of  La  Vendee,  the  prisoners  were 
well  treated.  They  were  offered  their  freedom  on  con- 
dition of  promising  not  to  serve  against  La  Vendee  again, 
and  to  ensure  that  this  oath  should  be  kept  for  some  time 
at  least,  their  heads  were  shaved  before  their  release,  a 
step  that  was  afterwards  taken  throughout  the  war. 

Quetineau  was  treated  with  all  honour,  and  was  given 
his  freedom  without  conditions.  Although  he  knew  well 
that  neither  his  long  services  nor  the  efforts  that  he  had 
made  would  save  him  from  the  fury  of  the  Convention,  he 
returned  to  Paris,  where,  after  the  mockery  of  a  trial,  he 


118  NO   SURRENDER 

was  sent  to  the  guillotine,  a  fate  which  awaited  all  those 
who  failed,  in  the  face  of  impossibilities,  to  carry  out  the 
plans  of  the  mob  leaders.  Instead  of  blame,  the  general 
deserved  a  high  amount  of  praise  for  the  manner  in  which 
he  had  defended  the  town  against  a  force  six  times  as  strong 
as  his  own.  Three  thousand  muskets,  ten  pieces  of  cannon, 
and  a  considerable  amount  of  ammunition  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  victors.  This  success  left  it  open  to  the  Vendeans 
either  to  march  against  Leigonyer  —  the  remnant  of  whose 
army  was  in  a  state  of  insubordination  at  Dou^,  and  could 
have  offered  no  opposition,  but  must  have  retreated  to  Sau- 
mur  —  or  to  clear  the  country  south  and  west. 

The  former  would  unquestionably  have  been  the  wiser 
course,  for  the  capture  of  Saumur  would  have  been  a  heavy 
blow  indeed  to  the  Republicans ;  but  the  peasants,  whose 
villages  and  property  were  threatened  by  the  presence  of 
the  Blues  at  Fontenay,  Parthenay,  and  Chataigneraie,  were 
so  strongly  in  favour  of  the  other  alternative  that  it  was 
adopted,  and  the  force  broke  into  two  divisions,  one  mov- 
ing towards  Chataigneraie,  and  the  other  against  Fontenay. 
Parthenay  was  evacuated  at  once  by  the  Republicans  as 
soon  as  news  reached  the  authorities  of  the  approach  of  the 
Vendeans.  The  latter,  however,  made  no  stay,  but  con- 
tinued their  march  towards  Chataigneraie.  The  town  was 
held  by  General  Chalbos  with  three  thousand  men.  After 
two  hours'  fighting,  Chalbos,  seeing  that  his  retreat  was  men- 
aced, fell  back. 

He  took  up  a  position  at  Fontenay,  where  he  was  joined 
by  General  Sandoz  from  Niort.  The  country  around  the 
town  was  unfavourable  for  the  Vendeans,  being  a  large 
plain,  and  the  result  was  disastrous  to  them.  The  Repub- 
licans were  strong  in  cavalry,  and  a  portion  of  these  fell  on 
the   flank  of  the  Vendeans,  while  the  remainder  charged 


A   SHORT   REST  119 

them  in  rear.  They  fell  into  disorder  at  once,  and  the 
cavalry  captured  a  portion  of  their  artillery.  The  Repub- 
lican infantry,  seeing  the  success  of  their  cavalry,  advanced 
stoutly  and  in  good  order.  In  vain  the  leaders  of  the 
Vendeans  strove  to  reanimate  their  men  and  induce  them 
to  charge  the  enemy.  The  panic  that  had  begun  spread 
rapidly,  and  in  a  few  minutes  they  became  a  mob  of  fugi- 
tives scattering  in  all  directions,  and  leaving  behind  them 
sixteen  cannon  and  all  the  munitions  of  war  they  had 
captured. 

La  Rochejaquelein,  who,  after  he  had  visited  Lescure  at 
Clisson,  had  rejoined  the  army  with  a  party  of  gentlemen, 
covered  the  retreat  with  desperate  valour,  charging  the 
enemy's  cavalry  again  and  again,  and,  before  falling  back, 
allowing  time  for  the  fugitives  to  gain  the  shelter  of  the 
woods.  The  loss  of  men  was  therefore  small,  but  the  fact 
that  the  peasants,  who  had  come  to  be  regarded  as  almost 
irresistible  by  the  troops,  should  have  been  so  easily  defeated, 
raised  the  Blues  from  the  depth  of  depression  into  which 
they  had  fallen,  while  the  blow  inflicted  upon  the  Vendeans 
was  correspondingly  great.  It  was  some  little  time  before 
the  peasants  could  be  aroused  again. 

Small  bodies,  indeed,  kept  the  field,  and  under  their 
leaders  showed  so  bold  a  face  whenever  reconnoitring 
parties  of  the  Blues  went  out  from  Fontenay,  that  the 
troops  were  not  long  before  they  again  began  to  lose  heart, 
while  the  generals,  who  had  thought  that  the  victory  at 
Fontenay  would  bring  the  war  to  a  conclusion,  again  began 
to  pour  in  letters  to  the  authorities  at  Paris  calling  for 
reinforcements. 

On  the  side  of  the  Vendeans,  the  priests  everywhere  ex- 
erted themselves  to  impress  upon  their  flocks  the  necessity 
of  again  joining  the  army.      Cathelineau  himself  made  a 


120  NO   SURRENDER 

tour  through  the  Bocage,  and  the  peasants,  persuaded 
that  the  defeat  was  a  punishment  for  having  committed 
some  excesses  at  the  capture  of  Chataigneraie,  responded 
to  the  call.  In  nine  days  after  the  reverse  they  were  again 
in  force  near  Fontenay,  and  in  much  greater  numbers  than 
before ;  for  very  many  of  them  had  returned  to  their  homes 
as  soon  as  Thouars  had  been  captured,  and  their  strength 
in  the  first  battle  was  but  little  greater  than  that  of  the 
Republicans. 

Burning  with  ardour  to  avenge  their  defeat,  and  rendered 
furious  by  the  pillage  of  all  the  houses  of  the  patriots  at 
Chataigneraie,  to  which  town  Chalbos  with  seven  thousand 
troops  had  marched,  it  was  against  him  that  the  Vendeans 
first  moved.  Chalbos,  who  had  occupied  his  time  in  issuing 
vainglorious  proclamations,  and  in  writing  assurances  to  the 
Convention  that  the  Vendeans  were  so  panic-stricken  that 
the  war  was  virtually  over,  only  saved  his  army  by  a  long 
and  painful  night  march  back  to  Fontenay.  Here  the  troops 
lay  down  to  sleep,  feehng  certain  that  there  could  be  no 
attack  that  day  by  the  enemy.  At  one  o'clock,  however,  the 
Vendeans  issued  from  the  woods  on  to  the  plain,  and  the 
troops  were  hastily  called  to  arms. 

The  Royal  Catholic  Army,  as  it  now  called  itself,  advanced 
in  three  columns.  It  was  without  cannon,  but  its  enthusiasm 
more  than  counterbalanced  this  deficiency.  The  Vendeans 
received  unshaken  the  discharge  of  the  artillery  of  the  Blues, 
pursuing  their  usual  tactics  of  throwing  themselves  to  the 
ground  when  they  saw  the  flash  of  the  cannon,  and  then 
leaping  up  again  and  rushing  forward  with  loud  shouts. 
The  cavalry  were  ordered  to  charge,  but  only  twenty  men 
obeyed,  the  rest  turned  and  fled.  The  infantry  offered  but 
a  feeble  resistance,  and  in  ten  minutes  after  the  first  gun 
was   fired   the    Republican  army  was  a  mob   of  fugitives 


A   SHORT   REST  121 

Fontenay  was  taken,  and,  what  pleased  the  peasants  even 
more,  their  beloved  cannon,  Marie  Jeanne,  was  recaptured, 
having  been  recovered  by  young  Foret,  who  with  a  hand- 
ful of  peasants  charged  the  cavalry  that  were  covering  the 
retreat  and  snatched  it  from  their  hands.  After  this  victory 
the  peasants  as  usual  returned  for  the  most  part  to  their 
homes. 

As  there  was  no  probability  of  further  fighting  at  the 
moment,  Jean  Martin  and  Leigh  started  for  the  chateau. 
They  had  first  asked  Cathelineau  if  they  could  be  spared. 

"  For  the  moment,  yes.  I  hope  that  we  shall  be  joined 
by  the  Count  de  Lescure  in  a  day  or  two ;  he  will,  of  course, 
be  one  of  our  generals.  He  has  great  influence  with  the 
peasantry,  and  if  he  can  but  persuade  them  to  remain  under 
arms  for  a  time  we  will  attack  the  enemy.  Messieurs 
d'Elbee  and  Bonchamp,  and  I  may  say  several  of  the 
gentlemen  with  me,  are  of  opinion  that  if  we  are  to  be 
successful  in  the  end  it  can  only  be  by  taking  the  offensive 
and  marching  against  Paris.  They  urge  that  we  should 
get  Monsieur  Charette  to  go  with  us  with  his  army,  cross 
the  Loire,  rouse  all  Brittany,  and  then  march  a  hundred 
thousand  strong  against  Paris. 

"  They  say  that  although  we  have  been  most  successful 
this  time,  and  repulsed  the  invaders  everywhere  except  on 
the  coast,  they  will  come  again  and  again  with  larger  forces 
till  they  overpower  us.  Possibly,  if  Monsieur  de  Lescure 
and  Henri  de  la  Rochejaquelein  aid  us  with  their  influence 
and  authority,  we  might  persuade  the  peasants  that  it  is 
better  to  make  one  great  effort,  and  then  to  have  done  with 
it,  than  to  be  constantly  called  from  their  homes  whenever 
the  Blues  are  in  sufficient  strength  to  invade  us.  We  shall 
tell  them,  too,  that  after  the  two  repulses  they  have  suffered, 
the  Blues  will  grow  more  and  more  savage,  and  that  already 


122  NO  SURRENDER 

orders  have  been  sent  for  all  villages  to  be  destroyed,  and 
all  hedges  and  woods  to  be  cut  down,  —  a  business  that,  by 
the  way,  would  employ  the  whole  French  army  for  some 
years.  However,  as  soon  as  our  plans  are  decided  upon  I 
will  send  a  messenger  to  you.  At  present  there  is  nothing 
requiring  either  you  or  your  scouts,  Monsieur  Stansfield,  and 
after  the  good  service  that  they  have  rendered  it  is  but  fair 
that  they  should  have  a  short  rest." 

Patsey  was  delighted  when  her  husband  and  Leigh 
arrived.  She  was  under  no  uneasiness  as  to  their  safety, 
as,  after  the  repulse  of  Berruyer's  army  at  Chemille,  and 
the  rout  of  Leigonyer,  Leigh  had  sent  one  of  the  boys 
home  with  the  assurance  that  they  were  unhurt. 

"I  don't  quite  know  how  much  to  believe,"  she  said, 
as  they  sat  down  to  a  meal,  "of  the  reports  that  the  boys 
have  brought  home.  The  first  came  and  told  me  that  on 
your  arrival  at  Cathelineau's,  he  himself  praised  them  all, 
and  that  Monsieur  Bonchamp  drilled  them  for  an  hour  ;  then 
came  home  two  wounded  lads  with  a  story  about  the  great 
fight,  in  which  they  insisted  that  Leigh  commanded,  and 
that  they  kept  the  army  of  the  Blues  at  bay  for  three  hours 
and  killed  hundreds  of  them.  The  next  messenger  told  us 
a  tale  about  Leigh's  having  discovered  some  treachery  upon 
the  part  of  the  man  who  was  in  charge  of  the  artillery,  and 
that  he  was  in  consequence  shot.  He  insisted  that  Cathe- 
lineau  had  declared  that  Leigh  had  saved  Chemille,  because 
the  enemy  were  so  long  delayed  that  Monsieur  d'Elbee  with 
his  band  had  time  to  come  up  from  Chollet  and  rout  the 
Blues. 

"  Of  course  I  did  not  believe  anything  like  all  they  said, 
but  I  suppose  there  must  be  something  in  it,  for  I  questioned 
the  boys  myself;  and  though  I  had  no  doubt  they  would 
make  as  much  as  they  could  of  their  own  doings  among 


A   SHORT   REST  123 

their  neighbours  and  friends,  they  would  hardly  venture  to 
lie,  though  they  might  exaggerate  greatly  to  me." 

"  Strange  as  it  may  appear,  Patsey,"  Jean  said,  "  they 
told  you  the  simple  truth,  and  as  soon  as  we  have  finished 
supper  I  will  tell  you  the  whole  story  of  what  has  taken 
place  since  we  left,  and  you  will  see  that  this  brother 
of  yours  has  cut  a  very  conspicuous  figure  in  our  affairs." 

''  You  are  not  joking,  Jean  ?  " 

"Not  in  the  smallest  degree.  I  can  assure  you  that  if 
Leigh  chose  to  set  up  as  leader  on  his  own  account  a  large 
proportion  of  the  peasants  would  follow  him." 

"  Ridiculous,  Jean  !  "  Leigh  exclaimed  hotly. 

"It  may  seem  ridiculous,  but  it  is  a  real  fact.  The 
peasants,  you  must  know,  Patsey,  choose  their  own  leaders. 
There  is  no  dividing  or  sorting  them,  no  getting  them  to 
keep  in  regular  companies  ;  they  simply  follow  the  leader  in 
whom  they  have  the  most  confidence,  or  who  appears  to 
them  the  most  fortunate.  If  he  does  anything  that  they 
don't  like,  or  they  do  not  approve  of  his  plan,  they  tell 
him  so.  Leigh's  defence  of  the  stream  against  Berruyer's 
army  created  a  feeling  of  enthusiasm  among  them,  and  I 
verily  believe  that  his  discovery  of  the  plot  to  render  the 
cannon  useless  was  regarded  by  them  as  almost  supernatural. 
Superstitious  and  ignorant  as  they  are,  they  are,  as  you  know, 
always  ready  to  consider  anything  they  can't  understand, 
and  which  acts  greatly  in  their  favour,  as  a  special  inter- 
position of  Providence.  I  am  bound  to  say  that  Leigh 
acted  upon  such  very  slender  grounds,  that  even  Catheli- 
neau,  who  is  enormously  in  advance  of  the  peasantry  in 
general,  was  staggered  by  it,  and  told  me  he  could  not 
have  believed  it  possible  that  anyone  should,  on  such  a  slight 
clue,  have  followed  the  matter  up  unless  by  a  special  in- 
spiration." 


124  NO    SURRENDER 

"  The  thing  was  as  shnple  as  A  B  C,"  Leigh  broke  in. 

"  You  will  have  to  remain  a  silent  listener,  Leigh,"  his 
sister  said,  "when  Jean  is  telling  me  the  story.  I  cannot 
have  him  interrupted." 

"Very  well,"  Leigh  said.  "Then  I  will  put  on  my  hat, 
take  a  fresh  horse  from  the  stable,  and  ride  off  to  see  how 
the  two  wounded  boys  are  going  on.'' 

"  I  can  tell  you  that  they  are  almost  well ;  but  still,  if  you 
don't  want  to  hear  Jean's  story  of  all  your  adventures,  by 
all  means  go  round.  I  am  sure  that  the  tenants  will  be 
gratified  at  hearing  that  you  rode  over  to  see  them  the  very 
first  evening  you  came  home." 

The  Vendean  leaders  had  for  some  time  felt  the  necessity 
of  having  a  generally  recognized  authority,  and  after  the 
battle  of  Fontenay  they  decided  to  appoint  a  council,  who 
were  to  reside  permanently  at  some  central  place  and 
administer  the  affairs  of  the  whole  district,  provide  sup- 
plies for  the  armies,  and  make  all  other  civil  arrangements, 
so  that  the  generals  would  be  able  to  attend  only  to  the 
actual  fighting.  A  body  of  eighteen  men  was  chosen  to 
administer  affairs  under  the  title  of  the  Superior  Council, 
and  a  priest  who  had  joined  them  at  Thouars,  and  who 
called  himself,  though  without  a  shadow  of  right,  the 
Bishop  of  Agra,  was  appointed  president.  He  was  an 
eloquent  man  of  commanding  presence,  and  the  leaders  had 
not  thought  it  worth  while  to  inquire  too  minutely  into  his 
claim  to  the  title  of  bishop,  for  the  peasants  had  been  full  of 
enthusiasm  at  having  a  prelate  among  them,  and  his  in- 
fluence and  exhortations  had  been  largely  instrumental  in 
gathering  the  army  which  had  won  tlie  battle  of  Fontenay. 

But  although  he  was  appointed  president,  the  leading 
spirit  of  the  council  was  the  Abb^  Bernier,  a  man  of  great 
energy  and   intellect,    with  a   commanding  person,   ready 


A   SHORT   REST  125 

pen,  and  a  splendid  voice,  but  who  was  altogether  without 
principle,  and  threw  himself  into  the  cause  for  purely 
selfish  and  ambitious  motives. 

It  was  on  the  sixteenth  of  May  that  Fontenay  was  won, 
and  on  the  third  of  June  the  church  bells  again  called  the 
peasantry  to  arms.  The  disaster  at  Fontenay  had  done 
more  than  all  the  representations  of  their  generals  to  rouse 
the  Convention.  Seven  battalions  of  regular  troops  arrived, 
and  Biron,  who  had  been  appointed  commander-in-chief, 
reached  Niort  and  assumed  the  command.  He  wrote  at 
once  to  the  minister  of  war  to  say  that  he  found  the  con- 
fusion impossible  to  describe ;  there  was  an  absence  of  any 
organization  whatever,  the  town  was  crowded  with  fugitives, 
who,  having  distinguished  themselves  by  the  violence  of 
their  opinions  and  the  severity  of  their  measures  before  the 
insurrection  broke  out,  were  forced  to  take  refuge  in  the 
cities.  The  general  reported  that  he  had  caused  the  as- 
sembly to  be  sounded  again  and  again,  without  more  than 
a  tenth  part  of  the  troops  paying  the  slightest  heed  to  the 
summons. 

The  army  was  without  cavalry,  without  waggons  for 
carrying  supplies,  without  an  ambulance  train — in  fact, 
it  was  nothing  but  a  half-armed  mob.  Biron  himself  was 
at  heart  a  Royalist,  and  when  he  in  turn  had  to  meet  his 
fate  by  the  guillotine,  openly  declared  himself  to  be  one ; 
and  the  repugnance  which  he  felt  on  assuming  the  command 
against  the  Vendeans  —  which  he  had  only  accepted  after  a 
long  delay,  and  after  petitioning  in  vain  to  be  allowed  to 
remain  at  his  former  post  —  was  heightened  when  he  dis- 
covered the  state  of  affairs,  and  the  utter  confusion  that 
prevailed  everywhere. 

When  sending  the  order  for  the  bells  to  ring  on  the  first 
of  June,  the  superior  council  of  the  Vendeans  issued  a  pro- 


126  NO   SURRENDER 

clamation,  which  was  to  be  read  in  all  the  churches,  to  the 
effect  that  provisional  councils  should  be  formed  in  each 
parish  to  provide  for  the  subsistence  of  the  women  and 
children  of  men  with  the  army. 

Receipts  were  to  be  given  for  all  supplies  of  grain  used 
for  this  purpose,  which  were  to  be  paid  for  by  the  superior 
council.  Those  men  who  did  not  remain  permanently  with 
the  army  as  long  as  necessary  would  be  called  upon  to  pay 
the  taxes  to  which  they  were  subject  prior  to  the  rising. 
The  sales  of  the  land  belonging  to  the  churches  —  which  had 
been  sequestrated  on  the  refusal  of  the  clergy  to  comply 
with  the  orders  of  the  Convention  —  were  declared  null  and 
void.  As  these  had  been  bought  by  the  upholders  of  the 
Revolution,  for  no  devout  Vend^an  would  have  taken  part 
in  the  robbery  of  the  church,  the  blow  was  a  heavy  one 
to  those  who  had  so  long  been  dominant  in  La  Vendee. 
These  lands  were  for  the  time  to  be  administered  for  the 
good  of  the  cause  by  the  parish  council.  It  was  hoped  that 
this  proclamation  would  act  beneficially  in  keeping  the 
peasants  in  the  field,  as  they  would  know  that  their  families 
were  cared  for;  and  that  if  they  only  went  out  at  times, 
they  would  subject  themselves  to  taxation,  and  be  regarded 
by  the  families  of  those  who  remained  with  the  army  as 
being  wanting  in  zeal. 

Upon  rejoining  the  army,  Leigh  and  his  party  of  scouts 
learned  to  their  satisfaction  that  it  was  intended  to  march 
against  Saumur.  They  were  now  double  their  former 
strength,  as  the  story  of  what  they  had  done  had  roused 
the  spirit  of  emulation  among  lads  in  the  surrounding 
parishes,  and  Leigh  could  have  had  a  hundred  had  he 
chosen.  He  was  this  time  mounted,  in  order  that  he 
might  at  times  ride  with  Rochejaquelein,  while  at  others 
he  went  out  scouting  with  his  party. 


A   SHORT   REST  127 

"  I  am  heartily  glad  to  see  you  back  again,  my  friend," 
the  young  count  said,  shaking  him  warmly  by  the  hand. 
"  To  be  with  you  does  me  good,  for  the  generals,  and  even 
Lescure,  are  so  serious  and  solemn  that  I  feel  afraid  to 
make  a  joke.  You  see,  in  the  cavalry  we  have  little  respon- 
sibility except  in  an  actual  battle.  In  an  open  country  we 
should  scout  ahead  and  have  affairs  with  the  enemy's  out- 
posts, but  in  this  land  of  woods,  where  one  can  seldom  see 
more  than  twenty  yards  ahead,  there  is  little  use  for  us. 
Besides,  with  the  exception  of  a  score  or  two  of  gentlemen, 
I  have  no  troops  to  command,  and  having  health  and  good 
spirits,  and  enjoying  life,  I  cannot  go  about  as  if  the  cares 
of  life  were  on  my  shoulders.  Your  brother-in-law  Martin 
is  a  capital  fellow,  but  with  a  wife  and  child,  he  cannot 
feel  so  light-hearted  as  I  do,  though  next  to  yourself  he  is 
the  most  ready  to  join  me  in  a  laugh.  Sailors  seem  always 
to  be  light-hearted,  and  he  certainly  is  no  exception." 

"  He  is  a  splendid  fellow,  count." 

"  Yes,  he  is  a  fine  fellow ;  but  you  see  he  is  seven  or 
eight  years  older  than  I  am,  while  I  feel  with  you  that  you 
are  about  my  own  age.  By  the  way,  it  is  high  time  that 
we  dropped  calling  each  other  by  our  surnames,  especially 
as  mine  is  such  a  long  one,  so  in  future  let  us  be  *  Henri '  and 
*  Leigh  '  to  each  other.    Most  of  the  peasants  call  me  Henri." 

"  They  generally  speak  of  you  as  '  our  Henri, '  "  Leigh  said, 
"  and  would  follow  you  through  fire  and  water.  I  think  the 
Vend^ans  are,  as  a  whole,  serious  people,  and  they  admire 
you  all  the  more  because  you  are  so  unlike  themselves.  If 
you  do  not  mind  my  saying  so,  you  remind  me  much  more 
of  the  young  English  officers  I  used  to  meet  at  Poole  than 
of  Frenchmen." 

"  Yes,  I  have  often  been  told  that  I  am  more  English  than 
French  in  appearance,  and  perhaps  in  manner ;  for  in  France 


128  NO   SURRENDER 

most  men  have  forgotten  for  the  past  four  years  what  it  is 
to  smile,  and  I  question  whether  a  laugh  would  not  be  con- 
sidered in  itself  sufficient  to  ensure  a  man's  condemnation 
as  an  enemy  of  the  Republic.  Well,  so  we  are  going  to 
Saumur  !  That  is  an  enterprise  worth  undertaking  ;  it  may 
be  considered  as  the  head-quarters  of  the  Blues  in  these 
parts.  There  is  a  considerable  body  of  troops  there.  If  we 
capture  it  we  shall  give  a  rare  fright  to  Poitiers,  Tours, 
and  the  other  towns,  and  cause  a  scare  even  in  Paris." 

Leigh  was  requested  to  go  forward  at  daybreak  with 
his  band  to  discover  the  situation  of  the  enemy  who  might 
come  out  from  their  situation  to  give  battle  before  Dou^. 
Leigonyer,  who  commanded  here,  had  with  him  four  good 
regiments,  and  occupied  several  strong  positions  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  river  Layon,  and  also  a  post  called 
Rochette  on  the  left  bank.  The  fact  that  the  Vend^ans 
were  advancing  against  them  was  already  known  to  Lei- 
gonyer, for,  confident  as  they  now  felt,  the  Venddans  made 
no  secret  of  their  destination,  and  the  news  was  speedily 
carried  by  the  adherents  of  the  Convention,  who  every- 
where acted  as  spies.  Three  such  men  were  captured 
by  Leigh's  party  making  their  way  to  Leigonyer,  and,  being 
unable  to  give  any  account  of  themselves,  were  immediately 
shot.  Leigh  had  no  difficulty  in  ascertaining  the  position 
of  the  enemy,  and,  as  the  army  was  but  two  hours'  march  in 
the  rear,  he  himself  rode  back  to  carry  the  news. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  Vendeans  arrived,  and  at  once  attacked 
the  Blues,  their  main  column  throwing  itself  upon  the  centre 
of  the  position,  which  it  speedily  forced.  Leigonyer's 
troops  at  Rochette  and  Verches  were  thereby  threatened  in 
flank,  and  Leigonyer,  who  was  himself  present,  ordered  the 
whole  force  to  fall  back  to  a  position  which  he  had  before 
chosen  as  being  favourable  for  giving  battle  behind  Doue. 


A   SHORT   REST  129 

But  the  Vendeans  pressed  forward  with  such  eagerness 
that  the  retreat  speedily  degenerated  into  a  rout,  and  the 
troops,  for  the  most  part  throwing  away  their  arms,  fled  pre- 
cipitately, carrying  the  reserve  with  them  to  Bourlan,  a  strong 
position  in  front  of  Saumur,  where  General  Menou  was 
stationed,  and  where  he  succeeded  in  rallying  them.  Lei- 
gonyer,  having  from  his  previous  experience  great  doubts 
as  to  whether  he  should  be  successful  in  his  stand  against 
the  Vendeans,  had  taken  the  precaution  to  send  back  the 
waggons  with  the  munitions  and  stores  together  with  the 
artillery. 

As  his  men  had  fled  too  rapidly  to  be  overtaken,  the 
numerical  loss  was  not  great.  He  himself,  in  his  report  of 
the  fight,  ascribed  it  to  a  cause  that  has  been  frequently 
used  by  the  French  to  excuse  their  defeats,  namely,  that  it 
was  due  to  treachery ;  for  many  of  the  men  broke  and  fled 
directly  the  action  began,  and  these,  he  avowed,  could  have 
been  none  other  than  Vendeans  who  had  disguised  them- 
selves, and  enlisted  for  the  purpose  of  causing  discontent 
among  the  men,  and  confusion  in  their  ranks  the  first  time 
they  met  the  enemy.  Since  the  commencement  of  the 
campaign  he  had  several  times  begged  to  be  relieved  of  his 
command,  and  to  return  to  the  post  that  he  occupied 
previously.  He  now  repeated  the  demand,  saying  that  he 
had  lost  the  confidence  of  his  men,  and  that  a  new  com- 
mander would  be  far  more  likely  to  succeed  with  them. 
This  time  the  request  was  granted,  and  General  Menou  was 
appointed  to  succeed  him. 

Fortunately  for  Leigonyer,  the  commissioners  of  the 
Convention  reported  most  favourably  of  the  activity  and 
energy  that  he  had  personally  shown,  and  although  he 
was  accused  of  treachery  in  the  Assembly,  this  report 
saved  him  from  the  guillotine. 

9 


130  NO   SURRENDER 

As  soon  as  the  fight  was  over,  Cathelineau  sent  for  Leigh. 

*^  It  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that  we  should  know 
what  is  passing  at  Saumur.  We  have  learned  from  one  of 
the  officers  who  is  a  prisoner  in  our  hands  that  Biron  is  at 
Tours,  and  is  endeavouring  to  persuade  the  Paris  battalions 
that  have  arrived  there  to  march  at  once  to  Saumur.  They 
have  absolutely  refused  to  do  so  until  the  arrival  of  the 
cannon  that  were  promised  to  them  before  they  left  Paris. 
They  may,  by  this  time,  be  marching  towards  Saumur,  with 
or  without  their  cannon.  General  Salomon  is  at  Thouars 
with  a  considerable  force,  and  it  is  possible  that  he  also 
may  march  to  aid  in  the  defence  of  Saumur,  and  as  he  has, 
in  addition  to  the  new  levies,  a  fine  battalion  of  gendarmes, 
his  arrival  at  Saumur  would  greatly  increase  the  strength 
of  the  defence.  I  should  say  that  half  your  scouts  had 
better  go  to  Thouars,  and  should  there  be  any  considerable 
movement  of  troops  there,  they  should  bring  me  word  at 
the  greatest  possible  speed.  We  shall  to-morrow  march 
forward  and  take  post  facing  the  enemy's  positions,  and 
on  the  ninth  shall  attack.  I  tell  you  this  in  order  that  your 
scouts  may  know  where  to  find  me.  To  you,  with  the  other 
half  of  your  party,  I  give  the  charge  of  watching  Saumur. 
If  one  or  two  of  them  could  cross  the  Loire  and  watch  the 
road  between  Tours  and  Saumur,  and  bring  me  speedy 
word  if  they  see  a  large  body  of  troops  coming  along,  we 
should  know  what  force  we  have  to  encounter,  and  act 
accordingly.'' 

'^  You  shall  have  news,  general,"  Leigh  said,  and  saluting 
at  once  joined  his  band. 

Jean,  who  had  been  talking  with  him  when  the  message 
from  Cathelineau  arrived,  and  had  waited  to  hear  what 
his  orders  were,  said  as  he  came  up,  *'  You  and  your  regi- 
ment are  off  on  an  adventure  again,  Leigh  ?  " 


A    SHORT   REST  131 

"Yes,  we  are  going  to  watch  Thouars  and  Saumur,  and 
to  find  out,  if  possible,  if  the  battaHons  from  Paris  are  on 
their  way  from  Tours." 

'*The  first  will  be  easy  enough,  but  unless  you  swim  the 
Loire  I  don't  see  how  the  second  is  to  be  managed/' 

*'  I  should  think  that  a  boat  might  be  obtained  at  one 
of  the  villages  on  the  river  bank.  Anyhow,  I  shall  get 
across  somehow." 

Andrd  was  ordered  to  take  his  party  to  Thouars. 

"  Remember,"  Leigh  said,  "  there  is  to  be  no  fighting ; 
not  a  shot  must  be  fired.  I  want  you  and  another  to  enter 
the  town,  if  possible,  from  the  other  side,  to  see  whether 
there  is  any  unusual  excitement,  and  especially  whether 
there  is  any  stir  among  the  troops  that  would  seem  to 
show  that  they  are  on  the  point  of  marching  away.  You 
are  to  remain  there  until  you  see  some  such  movement. 
The  lad  that  you  are  taking  in  with  you  must  go  out 
every  hour  to  the  spot  where  you  have  left  the  rest,  and 
one  of  these  must  at  once  start  with  your  report  to  the 
general,  who  will  to-morrow  be  on  his  way  to  Saumur,  and 
will  halt  not  far  from  its  works  of  defence.  Having  delivered 
his  message,  he  is  to  return  to  you,  for  you  must  continue 
to  send  off  messengers  until  you  hear  that  there  is  fighting 
at  Saumur.  If  the  commander  of  the  Blues  at  Thouars  has 
not  moved  by  that  time,  you  need  remain  no  longer,  but 
return  with  your  party  and  join  the  army." 

After  Andr^  had  left,  Leigh  marched  with  Pierre  and 
the  others  to  a  spot  up  the  river  ten  miles  above  Saumur. 

"  Can  any  of  you  swim  ?  "  he  asked. 

Three  only  of  the  party  were  able  to  reply  in  the  affir- 
mative. 

**  Do  you  think  that  you  could  swim  across  the  Loire  ?  "    - 

All  of  them  expressed  great  doubt  of  being  able  to  do  so. 


132  NO   SURRENDER 

"Well,  at  any  rate,  I  must  take  you  with  me,"  he  said. 
"  To  be  able  to  swim  a  little  is  a  good  deal  better  than 
not  to  be  able  to  swim  at  all,  for  by  making  a  faggot  you 
will  gain  such  support  as  will  enable  you  to  get  across. 
Now,  Pierre,  you  must  for  the  present  remain  here.  To- 
morrow morning  you  can  go  into  the  village  whose  church 
tower  you  can  see  over  there,  and  find  out  whether  the 
people  there  are  for  us  or  for  the  Blues.  If  they  are  for  us 
you  can  show  them  Cathelineau's  order,  of  which  you  have 
a  copy,  and  they  will  certainly  provide  you  with  a  boat. 
In  that  case,  cross  the  river  with  your  party  and  take  post 
on  the  opposite  bank,  keeping  the  boat  with  you,  and  a 
man  who  can  row.  Then  as  soon  as  one  of  my  messengers 
arrives  there,  you  will  send  on  my  report  to  the  general, 
who  to-morrow  evening  will  be  not  far  from  Saumur.  Do 
the  same  with  each  messenger  that  arrives. 

"If,  on  reaching  the  bank  opposite  the  village,  they  do 
not  find  you  there,  they  will  follow  the  opposite  bank  down 
until  they  are  opposite  to  you.  Then  they  will  call,  and 
you,  unless  anything  has  happened  to  drive  you  away,  will 
reply.  The  messenger  will  then  swim  across  with  my  report 
as  in  the  other  case.  You  will  send  it  forward  at  once,  and 
he  will  return  to  the  spot  I  shall  appoint.  I  see  there  is 
another  village  a  mile  below  us.  I  shall  go  there  with  my 
three  followers  to-night ;  we  will  manage  to  steal  a  boat  and 
row  across.  I  shall  go  to  that  village  instead  of  the  other 
because  the  loss  of  a  boat  may  cause  anger,  and  even  if  well 
disposed  to  the  cause,  they  might  not  receive  you  well. 
However,  I  shall  tie  the  boat  up  on  the  opposite  bank  when 
I  leave  it,  so  that  it  will  not  drift  away  down  the  river,  and 
when  they  see  it  in  the  morning  they  will  only  have  to  send 
another  boat  across  to  fetch  it  over." 

"  I  understand,  captain,  and  will  do  my  best  to  carry  out 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   SAUMUR  133 

your  instructions.  Even  if  I  find  that  at  the  village  above 
they  are  divided  in  opinion,  I  shall  surely  be  able  to  dis- 
cover from  their  talk  some  who  are  on  our  side,  and  who 
will  arrange  to  bring  a  boat  down  to  this  spot,  in  which 
case  your  messenger,  when  he  does  not  find  us  opposite  the 
village,  will  follow  the  bank  down  till  he  does  so." 

"  At  any  rate,  Pierre,  here  are  a  couple  of  crowns,  so  that 
you  can  arrange  with  a  man  for  the  hire  of  the  boat  and  his 
services  for  twenty-four  hours  if  necessary." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE   CAPTURE   OF   SAUMUR 

THE  arrangements  being  now  completed,  Leigh  and  his 
band  lay  down  in  a  thicket  near  the  bank  of  the  river 
and  slept  for  some  hours.  At  one  o'clock  in  the  morning 
Leigh  rose,  and  with  his  three  followers  started  for  the 
village.  It  was  but  twenty  minutes'  walk.  Not  a  soul  was 
stirring,  not  a  light  visible  in  any  window.  They  found 
that  three  or  four  boats  were  lying  by  the  bank.  Leigh 
chose  the  smallest  of  these,  and  loosening  the  head-rope 
from  the  post  to  which  it  was  fastened,  took  his  place  in  her 
with  the  others.  Accustomed  as  he  was  to  rowing  from 
his  childhood,  he  soon  reached  the  opposite  bank.  Here  he 
fastened  the  boat  up,  and  struck  across  country  until  he 
reached  the  road.  Then  he  sent  one  of  his  followers  west- 
ward. 

"You  will  follow  the  road,'^  he  said,  "until  within  a 
mile  of  Tours  ;  then  you  will  conceal  yourself  and  watch 
who  passes  along.  If  you  see  a  large  body  of  troops 
coming,  you  will  at  once  strike  across  country  and  make 


134  NO   SURRENDER 

your  way  down  to  the  village  above  that  at  which  we  crossed. 
You  heard  the  instructions  that  I  gave  to  Pierre.  If  you 
find  him  and  the  others  there  with  the  boat,  you  will  report 
what  you  have  seen.  He  will  send  another  messenger  on 
with  the  news  to  Cathelineau,  and  you  will  remain  with 
him  until  I  arrive.  If  he  is  not  there,  you  will  follow  the 
bank  of  the  river  down  to  the  other  village.  You  will  give  a 
shout  as  you  pass  the  spot  where  we  halted.  If  no  answer 
comes,  you  will  probably  find  Pierre  and  the  boat  some- 
where below.  You  will  not  miss  him,  for  I  have  ordered 
him  to  post  two  of  your  comrades  on  the  bank  so  that 
you  cannot  pass  them  unseen.  As  in  the  first  case,  you 
will  remain  with  him  until  I  arrive,  and  your  message  will 
be  carried  to  the  general  by  another  of  his  party.  In  case 
you  do  not  find  him  at  all,  you  will  know  that  I  have 
returned  before  you,  and  have  taken  him  and  the  others  on 
with  me.  In  that  case,  you  must  make  a  faggot  sufficiently 
large  to  support  you  in  the  water  and  swim  across.  The 
river  is  low,  and  it  will  not  be  many  yards  out  of  your 
depth." 

"  I  could  swim  that  without  the  faggot,  sir." 
"  Yes ;  but  it  is  better  to  have  it.  I  don't  suppose  that 
you  have  ever  swum  in  your  clothes,  and  you  would  find 
it  heavy  work ;  therefore  you  had  better  rely  upon  the 
faggot  to  keep  you  up,  and  with  its  aid  you  will  have  no 
difficulty  in  crossing." 

The  morning  now  was  breaking,  for  in  June  the  nights 
are  short,  and  after  waiting  for  an  hour,  Leigh  and  his  two 
companions  —  all  of  whom  had  divested  themselves  of  their 
weapons  and  belts,  which  they  had  left  in  Pierre's  charge  ■ — 
started  for  Saumur.  In  the  presence  of  so  large  a  number 
of  troops  with  scarcely  any  training  and  discipline,  and  with 
the  excitement  that  would  have  been  caused  by  the  defeat  of 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   SAUMUR  135 

Leigonyer,  and  the  prospect  of  an  attack  by  the  Vende'ans, 
Leigh  felt  confident  that  three  country  lads  ran  no  risk 
of  being  questioned.  However,  he  took  the  precaution  of 
learning  the  name  of  the  village  he  passed  through  six  miles 
from  the  town,  so  that  if  any  one  should  happen  to  ask 
where  they  came  from  and  what  they  were  doing,  he  could 
give  the  name  of  a  village,  and  say  that  they  had  merely 
come  in  from  curiosity,  hearing  that  there  was  likely  to  be 
a  battle  ;  assuredly  many  country  people  would  be  coming 
for  the  same  purpose. 

They  entered  the  town  at  six  o'clock.  It  was  already 
astir.  The  citizens,  with  anxious  faces,  were  talking  to- 
gether in  little  groups,  soldiers  were  loitering  about  in 
the  streets,  totally  regardless  of  the  bugles  and  drums  that 
were  sounding  in  the  market-place  and  at  various  points 
outside  the  town,  the  civil  functionaries  in  their  scarves 
of  office  hurried  fussily  about,  but  for  once  they  were  un- 
heeded. But  a  week  before,  a  denunciation  by  any  of  these 
men  would  have  been  sufficient  to  ensure  the  arrest  and 
imprisonment,  and  probably  the  death,  of  anyone  against 
whom  they  had  a  grudge ;  now  they  were  in  greater  danger 
than  those  who  had  dreaded  and  hated  them.  At  present 
there  was  no  talk  of  politics  among  the  groups  of  towns- 
people. Men  who  were  the  chief  upholders  of  the  regime 
of  confiscation  and  murder,  and  others  who  in  their  heart 
loathed  and  hated  it,  were  discussing  the  probabilities  of 
an  attack  by  the  Vendeans,  and  what  would  happen  were 
that  attack  to  be  successful. 

Would  the  town  be  given  over  to  sack?  Would  there  be 
a  massacre  and  slaughter  such  as  Chalbos  and  other  com- 
manders of  the  Blues  had  inflicted  in  the  Vendean  villages 
through  which  they  had  passed.  The  Vendeans  in  arms 
were   called   by   the  Blues    "  the   brigands."      Would  they 


136  NO   SURRENDER 

behave  like  brigands,  or  would  they  conduct  themselves  as 
Royal  and  Catholic  soldiers,  as  they  called  themselves? 
As  the  hours  passed  the  streets  became  more  crowded. 
Numbers  of  the  country  people  came  in  to  learn  the  news. 
Spies  from  Dou6  had  already  brought  in  word  that  orders 
had  been  issued  by  Cathelineau  that  the  army  should 
march  at  eight  o'clock  for  Saumur,  and  all  doubt  that  it 
was  their  intention  either  to  attack  the  town,  or  to  accept 
battle  in  the  plain  before  it,  was  at  an  end.  The  assembly 
was  sounded  in  all  quarters  of  the  town,  and  presently 
parties  of  the  mounted  gendarmes  rode  through  the  streets 
and  drove  the  soldiers  to  their  rendezvous.  Presently 
Leigh  saw  General  Menou  and  some  other  officers  of  rank 
enter  a  large  house. 

"  Who  lives  there  ?  "  he  asked  a  woman  who  was  standing 
near  him. 

"  General  Duhoux  ;  he  is  in  command,  you  know,  but  he 
has  not  recovered  from  a  wound  he  got  at  Chemille,  and  is 
unable  to  ride." 

Leigh  had  no  doubt  that  a  council  of  war  was  about  to 
be  held,  and  bidding  his  companions  wait  for  him  at  the 
end  of  the  street,  he  sauntered  across  the  road,  and  sat 
down  on  the  pavement  by  the  side-of  the  entrance.  Leaning 
against  the  wall,  he  took  from  his  pocket  a  hunch  of  the 
peasants'  black  bread,  and  cutting  it  up  with  his  knife, 
proceeded  to  munch  it  unconcernedly.  An  officer  and  two 
or  three  troopers  were  standing  by  their  horses'  heads  in 
the  road  opposite  the  door,  evidently  awaiting  orders.  In 
half  an  hour  General  Menou  himself  came  out,  and  said  to 
the  officer,  "  Sir,  you  will  ride  at  once  to  Thouars  by  way 
of  Loudun,  and  deliver  this  despatch  to  General  Salomon ; 
it  is  most  urgent.  When  you  hand  it  to  him  you  can  say 
that  I  begged  you  to  impress  upon  him  the  necessity  for 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   SAUMUR  137 

losing  not  a  moment  of  time.  It  is  all-important  that  he 
should  arrive  here  to-night,  for  to-morrow  morning  we  may 
be  attacked.     Take  your  troopers  with  you." 

The  officer  and  his  men  mounted  at  once  and  rode  off 
at  full  speed.  Leigh  remained  quiet  until  Menou  and  the 
other  officers  rode  out  from  the  court-yard  and  proceeded 
down  the  street,  followed  by  their  escort.  Then  he  got  up, 
stretched  himself,  and  walked  slowly  to  the  spot  where  his 
two  comrades  were  awaiting  him. 

*'  I  have  learned  what  I  wanted  to  know,''  he  said.  "  Do 
you  both  make  your  way  back  to  the  spot  where  Pierre  will 
be  awaiting  us,  and  tell  him  that  I  am  going  to  swim  the 
river  a  mile  above  the  town.  He  is  to  wait  where  he  is 
until  Lucien  comes  back  from  Tours,  which  will  not  be  till 
twelve  o'clock  to-night,  for  his  orders  are  to  remain  within 
sight  of  the  town  till  six  in  the  afternoon.  If  by  that 
hour  the  troops  there  have  not  set  out,  they  will  not  arrive 
until  after  we  have  captured  Saumur.  Saunter  along 
quietly ;  there  is  no  hurry." 

After  they  had  set  out  he,  too,  strolled  out  of  the  town, 
kept  along  the  road  for  another  half-mile,  and  then  struck 
off  across  the  fields  towards  the  river.  Arrived  there,  he 
took  off  his  heavy  country  shoes,  tied  them  round  his  waist, 
and  waded  out  into  the  river.  He  had  but  some  thirty 
yards  to  swim.  As  soon  as  he  reached  the  opposite  bank 
he  poured  the  water  out  of  his  shoes,  put  them  on  again, 
and  set  out  at  a  run.  He  had  to  make  a  detour  so  as  to  get 
beyond  the  eminences  on  which  the  Republican  troops  were 
posted,  and  after  running  for  a  couple  of  miles  came  down 
on  the  road.  A  short  distance  farther  he  arrived  at  a  village  ; 
a  peasant  with  a  horse  and  cart  was  standing  in  front  of 
a  cabaret. 

"  Do  you  want  to  earn  two  crowns  ?  "  he  asked  thq  man. 


138  NO   SURRENDER 

The  latter  nodded.  "  Two  crowns  are  not  easily  earned," 
he  said.  "  I  was  just  starting  for  Montreuil,  but  if  it  pays 
me  better  to  go  in  another  direction  I  must  put  that  jour- 
ney off  until  to-morrow." 

"  I  want  you  to  carry  me  to  Doud,"  he  said,  *'  at  the  best 
speed  of  which  your  horse  is  capable." 

The  countryman  looked  at  him  doubtfully;  his  clothes 
were  not  yet  dry.  Leigh  saw  that  the  man  was  not  sure 
of  his  power  to  fulfil  his  promise ;  he  therefore  produced 
two  crowns  and  held  them  up. 

"By  Saint  Matthew,"  he  said,  "it  is  the  first  silver  I 
have  seen  for  months.     I  will  take  you." 

Leigh  jumped  up  beside  the  peasant.  The  latter  at  once 
whipped  up  his  horse,  and  started  at  a  brisk  trot. 

"  You  know  that  the  Catholic  Army  is  there  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  I  know ;  I  belong  to  it  myself.  I  have  been  with 
it  from  the  first." 

"  I  would  have  taken  you  for  nothing  if  you  had  said  so 
before,"  the  man  said.  "  We  are  all  heart  and  soul  with 
them  here ;  and  if,  as  they  say,  they  will  come  along  here  to 
attack  Saumur,  every  man  in  the  village  will  go  with  them. 
How  is  it  that  you  are  here? " 

*'  I  am  an  officer,"  Leigh  said,  "  and  have  been  in  disguise 
into  Saumur  to  see  what  is  going  on  there,  and  am  now 
taking  the  news  back  to  Cathelineau." 

Conversation  was  difficult,  for  the  jolting  of  the  cart  was 
terrible,  and  Leigh  found  it  next  to  impossible  to  talk.  He 
was  well  content  when  the  belfries  of  Dou^  came  into  sight. 
On  arriving  at  the  town  they  drew  up  at  the  house  where 
Cathelineau  and  the  generals  had  their  quarters.  As  he 
got  down  he  offered  the  peasant  the  two  crowns. 

"  No,  sir,"  the  man  said,  "  I  will  not  take  a  sou  for  my 
service.     We  in  this  part  have  had  no  chance  of  doing  any- 


THE   CAPTURE   OF  SAUMUR  139 

thing,  and  I  should  be  ashamed  indeed  to  take  money  from 
those  who  have  been  fighting  for  the  good  cause.  As 
you  say  they  will  advance  to-morrow,  I  will  wait  here ;  it 
may  be  that  my  cart  will  be  useful ;  and  whether  or  no,  I 
shall  stay  if  it  is  only  to  get  a  sight  of  Cathelineau,  whose 
name  we  all  reverence." 

"  I  will  tell  him  of  your  good-will.  You  had  best 
remain  here  for  a  few  minutes." 

He  was  about  to  enter,  when  two  armed  peasants  who 
were  guarding  the  door  stopped  him. 

"  No  one  can  enter ;  the  general  is  in  council." 

"  Do  you  not  know  me  ?    I  am  Captain  Stansfield." 

The  men  drew  back  at  once.  It  was  not  strange  that 
they  did  not  recognize  him.  He  generally  wore  a  sort  of 
uniform  with  a  red  sash  round  his  waist,  which  was  the 
distinguishing  badge  of  the  officers,  but  had  always  adopted 
a  peasant  dress  on  setting  out  on  an  expedition.  There 
was  no  one  to  announce  him,  and  he  entered  a  room  where 
the  leaders  were  sitting  round  a  table.  They  looked  up  in 
surprise.  He  was  grimed  with  the  dust  which  had  risen  in 
clouds  as  he  drove  along,  and  his  clothes  bore  signs  of  their 
immersion. 

"Back  again,  monsieur?"  Cathelineau  exclaimed,  ^'and 
with  news,  no  doubt." 

"Very  important  news,  sir.  I  have  been  in  Saumur, 
and  have  learned  that  an  officer  has  started  for  Thouars,  by 
way  of  Loudun,  with  orders  to  General  Salomon  to  march 
instantly  into  Saumur,  and  that  he  is  to  arrive  there  to- 
night. I  left  the  town  five  minutes  after  the  messenger. 
Three-quarters  of  an  hour  later  I  struck  the  road  two  miles 
this  side  of  Saumur,  and  have  been  brought  here  in  a  cart 
by  a  peasant.  It  is  now  four  o'clock,  and  I  do  not  think  that 
tlie  officer  would  arrive  at  Thouars  before  half-past  three." 


140  NO   SURRENDER 

"That  is  important  news  indeed,"  Cathelineau  said. 
"  Well,  gentlemen,  what  do  you  think  had  best  be  done  ?  " 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  nothing  could  be  better,"  Monsieur 
de  Lescure  said.  "  The  enemy's  column  cannot  start  until 
five  o'clock  at  the  earliest.  It  will  be  dark  before  they  can 
arrive  at  Saumur.  I  know  the  road  well;  it  runs  in 
several  places  through  woods,  and  where  this  is  not  the 
case  there  are  high  hedges. 

"  Nothing  could  be  more  suitable  for  an  ambuscade.  I 
propose  that  half  of  our  force  should  march  at  once  and 
take  post  on  the  other  side  of  Montreuil.  It  will  be  nearly 
sunset  before  Salomon  can  arrive  at  that  town,  and  if  we 
engage  him  at  dusk  he  will  lose  half  the  benefit  of  the  dis- 
cipline of  the  regiment  of  gendarmes  who  will  no  doubt 
accompany  him." 

"  I  quite  approve  of  that  plan,  monsieur,"  Cathelineau 
said.     "  Are  you  all  of  the  same  opinion,  gendemen  ?  " 

There  was  a  general  expression  of  assent. 

"  Will  you,  General  Bonchamp,  with  Monsieur  de 
Lescure,  take  command  of  that  force?  I  myself  will 
proceed  with  the  rest  of  our  army  until  past  the  point 
where  the  road  from  Montreuil  falls  into  that  from  this 
town.  In  that  way,  if  General  Bonchamp  fails  to  arrest 
Salomon*s  march,  we  can  fall  upon  him ;  and  on  the  other 
hand,  if  the  firing  should  be  heard  at  Saumur,  and  Menou 
leads  out  a  force  to  assist  Salomon,  we  can  oppose  him. 
General  Dommaigne,  your  cavalry  would  be  useless  in  the 
attack  on  Salomon,  while  it  might  be  of  great  value  if  Menou 
comes  out.  You  have  rendered  us  another  good  service. 
Monsieur  Stansfield.  If  Salomon  had  thrown  another  four 
thousand  men  into  Saumur,  including  his  regiment  of  gen- 
darmes, it  would  have  been  a  serious  business  to  take  the 
place,  whereas  with  the  troops  Menou  has,   half  of  whom 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   SAUMUR  141 

are  Leigonyer's  fugitives,  I  do  not  anticipate  any  great 
difficulty." 

"I  shall  be  glad,  general,  if  you  would  speak  a  word 
to  the  good  fellow  who  brought  me  here.  I  had  bargained 
with  him  for  two  crowns,  but  when  he  found  that  I  was 
one  of  your  officers  he  refused  to  receive  anything;  and 
moreover,  he  said  that  he  would  remain  here  with  his  cart 
until  to-morrow,  as  perhaps  he  might  be  useful  in  carrying 
stores.     He  expressed  the  greatest  desire  to  see  you." 

"  Certainly  I  will  speak  to  him,"  Cathelineau  said,  as  he 
sent  out  to  give  orders  for  the  church  bells  to  ring  and  the 
horns  to  blow. 

The  man  was  standing  by  his  cart  a  short  distance  off  in 
the  hope  of  catching  sight  of  Cathelineau.  The  general  at 
once  walked  up  to  him. 

*^This  is  General  Cathelineau,"  Leigh  said. 

The  countryman  took  off  his  hat  and  dropped  on  his 
knees. 

"  Get  up,  my  good  fellow,"  Cathelineau  said  ;  "I  am  but 
a  Vend^an  peasant  like  yourself.  I  thank  you  for  the 
good  service  that  you  have  rendered  by  bringing  Monsieur 
Stansfield  so  quickly  to  us.  The  time  it  has  saved  may 
make  all  the  difference  to  us,  and  in  the  future  you  will 
have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  you  have  played  an 
important  part  in  the  capture  of  Saumur." 

In  five  minutes  the  quiet  street  was  crowded  with  men. 
The  peasants  had  encamped  in  the  fields  round  the  town, 
and  at  the  summons  caught  up  their  arms  and  ran  in 
hastily,  feeling  sure  that  the  occasion  was  important,  as 
they  had  been  told  that  they  were  not  to  march  until  next 
morning.  The  divisions  commanded  by  Monsieur  de  Les- 
cure  and  General  Bonchamp  speedily  gathered  round  the 
distinguishing  flags  of  those  officers.     Other  leaders  joined 


142  NO   SURRENDER 

them  with  their  followers,  until  some  ten  thousand  men 
were  gathered  outside  the  town. 

Leigh  had  changed  his  clothes  and  mounted  his  horse, 
Monsieur  de  Lescure  having  invited  him  to  ride  with  him. 
As  they  were  about  to  start  one  of  Andre's  messengers 
arrived  with  the  news  that  an  officer  and  three  troopers  had 
arrived  at  the  town,  and  that  ten  minutes  later  the  trum- 
pets were  sounding  the  assembly. 

"It  is  well  that  we  got  your  news  first,"  Monsieur  de 
Lescure  said  to  Leigh,  "  for  otherwise  we  could  hardly  have 
got  our  forces  together  and  been  ready  for  a  start  until  it 
was  too  late  to  intercept  Salomon." 

The  route  of  the  column  was  by  a  by-road  between 
Dou^  and  Montreuil.  It  was  seven  o'clock  before  they 
approached  the  town.  Then  striking  off  the  road  they 
marched  through  the  fields  until  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the 
east  of  it,  when  they  halted  in  a  thick  wood.  They  were 
now  divided  into  three  columns  of  equal  strength.  That 
under  Monsieur  de  Lescure  occupied  the  wood  on  one  side 
of  the  road,  that  under  Monsieur  Ronchamp  the  other 
side.  The  third  column  were  posted  in  rear  of  the  wood, 
and  were  to  thickly  line  the  hedges  that  bordered  it.  It 
was  just  dusk  when  the  force  from  Thouars  came  along. 
It  consisted  of  three  thousand  six  hundred  men,  with  four 
pieces  of  cannon.  It  was  allowed  to  pass  nearly  through 
the  wood,  when  a  heavy  fire  was  opened  upon  it  on  both 
flanks.  The  regiment  of  gendarmes  which  led  the  colunm 
showed  great  coolness,  and,  animated  by  their  example, 
the  whole  force  remained  steady.  Darkness  came  on,  but 
it  was  not  until  eleven  o'clock  that  there  was  any  change 
in  the  situation.  Owing  to  the  darkness  in  the  forest 
neither  side  was  able  to  distinguish  its  foes ;  the  men  fired 
only  at   the   flashes   of   the  muskets.     Lescure    then    sent 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   SAUMUR  143 

round  four  or  five  hundred  men,  who  suddenly  fell  upon 
the  baggage  train  of  the  enemy.  The  guard  were  com- 
pletely taken  by  surprise.  Many  of  the  carters  cut  the 
ropes  and  traces  and  galloped  off,  delighted  to  escape 
from  a  service  into  which  they  had  for  the  most  part  been 
dragged  against  their  will.  The  alarm  thus  begun  spread 
rapidly.  The  young  troops,  who,  encouraged  by  the  example 
of  the  gendarmes,  had  so  far  stood  their  ground,  at  once  lost 
heart.  The  darkness  of  the  night,  their  ignorance  as  to  the 
strength  of  the  force  that  had  attacked  the  rear,  and  the 
fear  that  all  retreat  would  be  cut  off,  would  have  shaken 
older  soldiers  than  these,  and  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  their 
officers  the  wildest  confusion  soon  reigned. 

The  Vend^ans  pressed  their  attack  more  hotly,  and 
General  Salomon,  seeing  that  unless  a  retreat  was  made 
while  there  was  yet  time,  a  terrible  disaster  might  take 
place,  ordered  the  gendarmes  to  fall  back  in  good  order. 
The  movement  was  effected  without  great  loss.  In  the 
darkness  it  was  impossible  for  Lescure  and  the  other  leaders 
to  get  their  men  together  and  to  press  hard  upon  their 
retreating  foes,  and  they  were  well  satisfied  at  having 
carried  out  the  object  of  their  expedition  and  prevented 
the  force  from  Thouars  from  entering  Saumur.  Word  was 
sent  to  Cathelineau  that  Salomon  had  fallen  back,  and  the 
peasants  then  lay  down  till  morning. 

Andr^  with  his  little  band  had  joined  the  force  when 
fighting  began ;  they  had,  as  soon  as  Salomon  started  from 
Thouars,  followed  his  movements  at  a  distance,  from  time  to 
time  sending  off  a  messenger  to  Doue  giving  an  account  of 
the  progress  of  the  enemy.  As  soon  as  the  firing  broke  out 
in  the  wood,  Andre,  with  the  twelve  who  still  remained  with 
him,  joined  the  combatants,  and  finding  that  Leigh  was  with 
Monsieur  de  Lescure,  was  not  long  in  discovering  him. 


144  NO   SURRENDER 

"  You  have  done  very  well,  Andr^,"  he  said.  "  I  don't 
think  anything  will  come  of  this  fighting ;  it  is  getting  dark 
already,  and  I  have  no  fear  now  that  the  Blues  will  break 
through.  Neither  party  will  be  able  to  see  the  other  in 
this  wood,  and  certainly  you  could  do  no  good  with  your 
pistols.  Practically  few  are  engaged  on  either  side.  The 
Blues  have  made  one  effort,  and,  finding  that  we  have  a  very 
strong  force  in  their  front,  have  given  up  the  attempt  to 
push  forward.  I  don't  beheve  that  the  new  levies  have 
courage  enough  to  keep  steady  through  a  whole  night's 
uncertainty.  You  had  best  draw  off  some  distance  and  rest 
till  you  hear,  by  the  firing,  that  some  change  has  taken 
place.  If  you  hear  that  the  Blues  are  retreating,  follow 
them  at  a  distance.  It  is  important  for  the  generals  to 
know  what  course  they  are  taking.  They  may  halt  in 
Montreuil,  they  may  return  to  Thouars,  they  may  retire 
to  Niort  or  Parthenay.  If  they  remain  in  Montreuil,  let 
us  know  at  once,  because  in  that  case  we  shall  have  to  stay 
here,  in  case  they  should  attempt  to  push  on  again.  If 
they  go  farther,  we  need  have  no  more  concern  about  them. 
Still,  it  would  be  of  great  importance  to  our  generals  to 
know  whether  they  return  to  Thouars  or  retire  farther 
south." 

"Very  well,  captain;  I  will  see  that  you  are  kept  in- 
formed." 

"You  had  better  instruct  your  first  messengers  to  come 
straight  here.  CatheHneau  and  the  rest  of  the  forces  started 
directly  we  did,  and  will  halt  at  the  junction  of  the  roads, 
and  are  likely  to  remain  there  all  day  to-morrow.  Therefore, 
if  your  messengers  find  the  wood  deserted  they  have  simply 
to  follow  the  road,  and  they  will  either  overtake  us  or  find 
us  with  CatheHneau." 

"  How  long  must  we  follow  the  Blues  ?  " 


THE   CAPTURE    OF   SAUMUR  145 

"  There  is  no  occasion  to  go  any  great  distance.  T  do  not 
suppose  that  we  shall  pursue  them ;  they  could  certainly 
defend  themselves  at  Montreuil,  and  we  should  not  risk 
suffering  heavy  loss,  and  having  the  men  dispirited  by 
failure,  when  all  are  needed  for  the  work  at  Saumur.  If 
you  follow  them  far  enough  to  determine  whether  they  are 
retiring  on  Thouars,  or  are  marching  towards  Niort,  that  is 
all  that  is  necessary,  and  you  will  be  able  to  rejoin  us  in 
plenty  of  time  to  see  the  fight  at  Saumur.'* 

As  Leigh  thought  would  be  probable,  Monsieur  de 
Lescure  restrained  the  peasants  from  following  in  pursuit 
when  the  Blues  retreated.  The  latter  had  left  two  of  their 
guns  behind  them,  and  a  number  of  carts  laden  with  ammu- 
nition and  provisions  for  the  march  fell  into  the  peasants' 
hands,  the  latter  providing  them  with  breakfast  before  they 
started  early  next  morning,  rejoining  Cathelineau's  force  two 
hours  later.  These  had  been  apprised  some  hours  before, 
by  one  of  the  mounted  gentlemen  who  had  accompanied 
the  column,  of  the  success  that  had  attended  the  operation, 
and  they  were  received  with  great  joy  by  their  comrades  on 
their  arrival. 

Cathelineau  with  General  Bonchamp  and  a  small  escort  of 
cavalry  had  ridden  towards  Saumur  to  examine  the  positions 
occupied  by  the  enemy,  and  to  discuss  the  plan  of  attack. 
They  now  felt  confident  of  success,  unless,  indeed,  Biron 
should  come  up  in  the  course  of  the  day  with  the  Paris 
brigade  at  Tours  together  with  its  guns.  The  description 
that  Leigh  had  given  of  the  confusion  and  want  of  disci- 
pline in  the  garrison  showed  that  it  could  not  be  relied  upon 
for  hard  fighting,  and  as  it  was  certain  that  the  failure  of 
Salomon  to  get  through  to  its  assistance  would  be  known 
in  Saumur  early  in  the  day,  it  could  not  but  add  to  the 
dismay  produced  by  the  advance  against  the  town.     This 

lO 


146  NO    SURRENDER 

was  indeed  the  case.  As  artillery  had  not  been  employed 
on  either  side,  the  sound  of  the  conflict  did  not  reach  the 
town.  However,  as  the  officer  who  had  taken  the  order  to 
Thouars  returned  at  seven  o'clock,  saying  that  Salomon  was 
preparing  to  march  and  would  assuredly  arrive  some  time 
in  the  evening,  the  anxiety  increased  hour  by  hour,  and  by 
midnight  the  conviction  that  he  must  have  been  attacked  by 
the  enemy,  and  had  failed  to  get  through,  became  a  certainty 
and  spread  dismay  through  the  town. 

At  five  in  the  morning  a  mounted  messenger  brought  a 
despatch  from  Salomon  saying  that  he  had  fought  for  four 
hours  near  Montreuil  against  a  large  force  of  the  enemy, 
and  that  another  column  of  these  having  fallen  on  his  rear, 
he  found  it  necessary  to  retire,  as  a  panic  was  spreading 
among  the  National  Guard,  and  a  serious  disaster  would 
have  happened  had  he  continued  his  attempts  to  push  on. 
In  the  evening  Generals  Coustard  and  Berthier,  who  had 
been  sent  by  Biron  to  act  under  Menou's  orders,  arrived  in 
the  town,  and  Santerre,  the  brewer  of  Paris,  who  had  been 
the  leader  of  the  mob  there  and  was  now  a  general,  arrived 
next  morning.  Cathelineau's  army  was  astir  early;  the 
leaders  had  been  gladdened  by  the  arrival  at  five  o'clock  of 
a  messenger  from  Pierre,  saying  that  one  of  his  messengers 
had  come  in  from  Tours,  and  that  up  to  seven  o'clock  in 
the  evening  no  troops  had  left  that  city.  It  was,  therefore, 
certain  that  the  garrison  of  Saumur  could  receive  no  assist- 
ance from  that  quarter. 

Breakfast  was  eaten,  and  the  array  then  formed  up  in  its 
divisions.  Mass  was  celebrated,  and  it  then  set  out  for 
Saumur.  In  that  town  all  was  confusion  and  dismay.  The 
newly-arrived  generals  were  strangers  alike  to  the  town,  its 
defences,  and  the  troops  they  were  to  command.  In  front 
of  the  works  defending  Saumur  ran  the  river  Dives,  which 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   SAUMUR  347 

fell  into  the  Loire  a  mile  or  so  below  the  town.  It  was 
crossed  by  a  bridge  ;  but  so  great  was  the  confusion  that, 
in  spite  of  the  representations  of  the  civil  authorities,  no 
steps  were  taken  either  to  cut  or  guard  it.  It  was  not  until 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  that  the  Vend^ans  approached 
the  town,  and  General  Menou  sent  two  battalions  of  the 
line,  one  of  volunteers,  and  eighty  horse,  under  the  orders 
of  General  Berthier,  to  take  possession  of  a  chateau  in  front 
of  the  position.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  men  were  posted 
in  a  convent  near  it.  Santerre  commanded  the  force  which 
was  to  defend  the  intrenchments  at  Nantilly,  and  Coustard 
the  troops  who  occupied  the  heights  of  Bourlan. 

At  four  o'clock  the  skirmishers  on  both  sides  were  hotly 
engaged.  The  Vendeans  advanced  in  three  columns  —  the 
central  one  against  the  post  occupied  by  Berthier,  the  left 
against  Nantilly,  and  the  right  threatened  to  turn  the  po- 
sition at  Beaulieu.  Berthier  allowed  the  force  advancing 
against  him  to  approach  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
chateau,  and  then  poured  a  storm  of  grape  into  it  from  a 
battery  that  he  had  established.  Lescure,  who  was  in 
command,  was  badly  wounded.  The  head  of  the  column 
fell  into  confusion,  and  Berthier  at  once  attacked  them 
with  his  two  regiments  of  the  line,  and  for  a  time  pressed 
the  column  back.  His  litde  body  of  cavalry,  whom  he 
had  ordered  to  charge,  fell  back  as  soon  as  the  Vendeans 
opened  fire  upon  them,  and  the  latter  then  attacked  the 
line  battalions  with  such  fury  that  Berthier  was  obliged  to 
call  up  his  regiment  of  volunteers.  Cathelineau  sent  rein- 
forcements to  his  troops,  and  these  pressed  on  so  hotly 
that  Berthier,  who  had  had  a  horse  shot  under  him,  was 
obliged  to  fall  back,  and  the  exulting  Vendeans  rushed 
forward  and  carried  the  faubourg  of  Fenet. 

Dommaigne,  with  his  cavalry,  charged  the  cuirassiers  and 


148  NO   SURRENDER 

the  German  Legion.  There  was  a  sharp  fight ;  Dommaigne 
was  killed,  and  the  colonel  of  the  German  Legion  despe- 
rately wounded  ;  but  a  body  of  the  Vend^an  infantry  coming 
up,  took  the  cuirassiers  in  flank  with  their  fire,  and  they 
fell  back  into  Saumur.  General  Menou  had  been  in  the 
thick  of  the  fight  and  had  three  horses  killed  under  him. 
He  sent  another  battalion  to  reinforce  Berthier,  but  as  soon 
as  they  came  within  shot  of  the  Vend^ans  they  broke  and 
fled.  The  two  line  battalions,  reinforced  by  four  companies 
of  gendarmes,  kept  up  a  heavy  fire.  The  artillery  until 
now  had  zealously  supported  them,  but  their  ammunition 
was  failing.  Menou  and  Berthier  placed  themselves  at 
the  head  of  the  cavalry  and  called  upon  them  to  charge ; 
but  instead  of  doing  so  they  raised  their  favourite  cry  of 
"Treason!"  and  galloped  back  to  the  town. 

The  line  regiments  and  gendarmes,  pressed  more  and 
more  hotly,  and  finding  themselves  without  support,  with- 
drew in  good  order  into  Saumur.  The  Vendeans  had  now 
possession  of  all  the  works  in  the  centre  of  the  defenders* 
line.  Coustard,  seeing  that  the  centre  was  lost  and  that 
the  Vendeans  were  moving  towards  a  bridge  across  the 
Dives,  by  which  alone  they  could  enter  the  town,  ordered 
two  battalions  with  two  pieces  of  cannon  to  hold  it.  He 
was  not  only  disobeyed,  but  with  shouts  of  "  Treason  I " 
they  rushed  upon  him,  and  with  difficulty  he  escaped  with 
his  life.  The  Vendeans  seized  the  bridge  and  established 
a  battery  for  its  defence.  Coustard  saw  that  it  must  be 
recaptured,  as  the  town  was  now  open  to  the  enemy,  and 
ordered  a  detachment  of  cuirassiers,  commanded  by  Colonel 
Weissen,  to  carry  the  bridge ;  the  two  battalions  of  infantry 
now  promised  to  follow. 

Although  he  saw  that  to  charge  the  battery  with  a  hand- 
ful of  cavalry  was  to  ride  to  almost  certain  death,  Weissen 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   SAUMUR  149 

gallantly  led  his  men  forward.  The  infantry  followed  for  a 
short  distance,  but,  being  taken  in  flank  by  a  volley  from  a 
party  of  Vend^ans,  they  broke  and  fled.  The  cavalry  were 
almost  annihilated,  and  Weissen  was  desperately  wounded, 
two  or  three  of  his  men  alone  riding  back.  The  main  force 
of  Coustard's  division  in  the  redoubts  at  Bourlan  had  not 
been  attacked,  and  retired  to  Angers  during  the  night. 
The  rout  of  the  rest  of  the  defenders  was  now  complete, 
and  the  town  open.  La  Rochejaquelein,  by  whose  side 
Leigh  and  a  small  party  of  gentlemen  rode,  had  made 
a  succession  of  desperate  charges  into  the  midst  of  the 
fugitives ;  and  he  now  said  to  Leigh  and  three  other  gen- 
tlemen, "  Come  along,  we  will  see  what  they  are  doing  in 
the  town."  Then,  dashing  forward  at  full  speed,  they  passed 
through  the  gate,  entered  the  main  street,  and  found  that  it 
contained  a  battalion  of  infantry  retreating. 

So  cowed  were  these  that  they  opened  their  ranks  and 
allowed  the  five  horsemen  to  dash  through  them.  Then 
they  made  a  tour  of  the  place,  and  returned  to  inform  the 
Vend^ans  who  were  just  entering  that  all  resistance  had 
ceased.  As  on  two  previous  occasions,  the  flying  Republicans 
owed  their  safety  to  the  piety  of  the  peasants,  who,  instead 
of  pursuing  at  once,  rushed  into  the  churches,  where  the 
cures,  who  had  accompanied  them,  returned  thanks  for  the 
victory  that  had  been  gained,  and  thus  lost  the  half-hour 
of  daylight  that  would  have  been  invaluable.  Cathelineau, 
after  a  consultation  with  Lescure  and  Bonchamp,  decided 
that  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt  a  pursuit  in  the  dark. 
Berthier's  battalion  was,  too,  unbroken.  The  generals,  find- 
ing that  there  was  no  pursuit,  might  have  rallied  a  consid- 
erable number  of  the  others,  when  the  peasants,  coming 
up  in  the  dark,  could  in  turn  have  been  repulsed  with 
heavy  loss.     Saumur  had  been  taken  with  all  its  stores  of 


150  NO   SURRENDER 

cannon,  ammunition,  and  provisions,  and  it  was  considered 
that  under  the  circumstances  it  was  best  to  be  contented 
with  the  signal  success  they  had  gained. 

Berthier  and  Menou  indeed,  although  both  severely 
wounded,  had  covered  the  retreat  with  the  line  regiments 
and  gendarmes,  and  carried  off  with  them  seven  cannon 
which  they  came  across  as  they  passed  through  the  town, 
and  would  have  given  the  peasants  a  warm  reception  had 
they  followed  them.  The  rest  of  the  army  were  hope- 
lessly scattered,  and  continued  their  flight  all  night,  some 
towards  Tours,  others  to  Angers,  their  reports  causing 
the  wildest  dismay  in  both  towns.  Had  Charette,  who 
had  always  acted  independently  in  lower  Vendue,  been  per- 
suaded at  this  moment  to  join  hands  with  Cathelineau, 
there  can  be  little  question  that  they  might  have  marched 
to  Paris  without  encountering  any  serious  resistance,  and 
that  their  arrival  there  would  have  changed  the  whole  course 
of  events.  Unfortunately,  however,  he  was  himself  sorely 
pressed  by  several  columns  of  the  enemy,  and  was  with 
difficulty  holding  his  own.  The  great  opportunity  was,  there- 
fore, lost,  never  to  return. 

The  castle  of  Saumur  was  still  in  the  hands  of  the  Blues. 
Five  hundred  of  the  National  Guards  of  the  town,  and 
about  the  same  number  of  men  of  different  regiments,  threw 
themselves  into  it  before  the  Vend^ans  entered,  carrying 
with  them  what  provisions  they  could  lay  hands  upon.  The 
wives  of  the  National  Guards  soon  surrounded  the  chateau, 
crying  to  their  friends  to  surrender,  and  asserting  that  if 
they  did  not  do  so  the  Vendeans  would  give  the  town  over 
to  pillage  and  fire. 

For  a  time  the  commandant  resisted  their  entreaties,  but 
feeling  that  his  position  was  desperate,  and  that  there  was 
no  hope  of  relief,  he   surrendered.      In  the  morning  the 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   SAUMUR  151 

garrison  marched  out;  the  officers  were  allowed  to  retain 
their  side-arms  and  the  men  to  return  to  their  homes. 
Eighty  cannon  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  victors,  many 
thousands  of  muskets,  a  large  quantity  of  ammunition,  and 
very  many  prisoners.  Here,  as  at  other  places,  the  peasants 
behaved  with  great  moderation.  The  agents  of  the  Con- 
vention, who  had  tyrannized  the  town  so  long,  were  thrown 
into  prison,  as  were  their  chief  supporters,  but  private 
property  was  untouched.  On  the  following  day  there  was 
a  council,  at  which  Lescure,  seriously  wounded  as  he  was, 
was  present.  It  was  agreed  that  it  was  indispensable  that 
one  man  should  be  appointed  commander-in-chief.  Many 
difficulties  had  arisen  from  independent  action  by  generals 
and  leaders  of  bands  more  or  less  numerous,  and  it  was 
necessary  that  all  should  act  under  the  orders  of  a  recog- 
nized head. 

When  this  was  agreed  to,  the  question  had  to  be  decided 
as  to  who  should  be  appointed  to  this  responsible  post. 
The  claims  of  Lescure,  la  Rochejaquelein,  d'Elbee,  Bon- 
champ,  Cathelineau,  and  Stofflet  were  almost  even.  Each 
had  a  large  band  of  followers,  all  had  been  unwearied  in 
their  devotion  to  the  cause.  It  is  probable  that  Lescure 
would  have  been  chosen.  He  was  the  largest  landed  pro- 
prietor, and  was  of  the  highest  rank,  with  the  exception  of 
Rochejaquelein,  who  had,  although  the  idol  of  the  army, 
scarcely  experience  and  ballast  enough  to  take  so  responsi- 
ble a  position.  Lescure  himself,  however,  proposed  that 
Cathelineau  should  be  chosen.  His  influence  was  great, 
his  talents  unquestionable,  and  the  simple  honesty  of  his 
character,  his  modesty  and  untiring  zeal  in  the  cause,  ahke 
recommended  him.  Lescure  felt  that  if  he  himself,  Bon- 
champ,  or  d'Elbee  were  chosen,  jealousies  might  arise  and 
the  cause  suffer.     His  choice  was  felt  by  all  to  be  a  good 


152  NO  SURRENDER 

one,  and  Cathelineau  was  unanimously  appointed  to  the 
post  of  commander-in-chief.  No  finer  tribute  was  ever  paid 
to  the  virtues  and  talent  of  a  simple  peasant,  than  such 
a  choice  made  by  men  so  greatly  his  superior  in  rank  and 
station. 


CHAPTER  IX 

BAD   NEWS 


NEITHER  Leigh  nor  Jean  Martin  was  at  Saumur  when 
this  decision  was  arrived  at.  The  very  night  that 
the  town  was  taken  one  of  the  former's  band,  who  was 
wounded  and,  greatly  against  his  inclination,  had  been  left 
behind,  arrived  there  on  horseback.  He  was  the  bearer  of 
terrible  news.  Early  on  the  previous  day  a  troop  of  the 
enemy's  cavalry  had  arrived.  They  had  apparently  ridden 
all  night,  and  without  exciting  any  alarm  on  the  way. 
They  had  made  straight  for  the  chateau,  without  going 
into  the  village.  Beyond  the  fact  that  they  belonged  to 
the  force  operating  from  Nantes  none  knew  the  route  they 
had  followed.  They  had  doubtless  expected  to  arrest  Jean 
at  the  chateau,  but  on  finding  him  absent,  had  seized  his 
wife,  had  placed  her  in  their  midst,  set  fire  to  the  chateau, 
and  ridden  off  before  any  force  could  be  gathered  to  oppose 
them.     Jean  and  Leigh  were  horror-stricken  at  the  news. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  ?  "  the  former  exclaimed.  "  What 
can  be  done  ?  " 

"I  should  say,"  Leigh  said,  ''that  the  first  thing  to  do 
will  be  to  tell  the  generals  that  we  must  for  the  present 
leave  them.  Then  we  must  go  to  Nantes  in  disguise,  find 
out  where  she  is  imprisoned,  and  see  what  can  be  done  to 
rescue  her." 


-^^ 

HE    WAS    THE    BEARER    OF    TERRIBLE    NEWS." 


BAD   NEWS  153 

"  Certainly  that  is  the  best  thing,  Leigh.  Let  us  start  at 
once." 

"It  will  be  daylight  in  two  hours,  Jean,  and  that  will 
make  no  difference.  I  will  go  and  talk  with  my  boys ;  they 
are  asleep  together  on  the  steps  of  the  church  of  St.  Marie. 
They  may  be  useful  to  us,  and  I  am  sure  would  follow  us 
anywhere." 

Jean  made  no  reply ;  he  had  buried  his  face  in  his  hands, 
and  deep  sobs  broke  from  him.  Tears  were  streaming  down 
Leigh's  cheek  as  he  spoke,  but  he  put  his  hand  upon  Jean's 
shoulder  and  said,  in  a  voice  which  he  tried  to  keep  steady, 
"  It  is  terrible,  Jean,  but  we  must  not  give  up  hope ;  we 
have  beaten  the  Blues  in  the  field,  and  it  is  hard  if  we 
cannot  manage  to  beat  them  somehow  in  this  business."  The 
other  made  no  reply,  and  Leigh,  feeling  that  it  would  be 
best  to  leave  him  to  himself  for  the  present,  went  downstairs. 
The  lad  who  had  brought  the  message  was  seated  against 
the  wall  holding  the  horse's  bridle  in  his  hand.  Being  a 
stranger  in  the  place,  he  did  not  know  where  to  go. 

"  Come  with  me,  Philippe  ;  the  others  are  all  in  the  great 
square  a  hundred  yards  away.  They  got  their  bread  yester- 
day morning,  and  will  have  plenty  of  it  left  for  you  and  the 
horse.  It  can  take  a  drink  at  the  fountain  in  the  centre. 
Ah,"  he  exclaimed  stopping  suddenly,  "you  said  nothing 
about  the  child,  and  we  did  not  think  to  ask.  Did  my 
sister  take  it  away  with  her,  or  was  it  left?" 

"  I  did  not  hear,  captain.  My  mother  ran  into  the  house 
crying,  and  said,  '  The  Blues  have  come,  and  have  set  fire  to 
the  chateau  and  carried  madame  away  prisoner.  Take  the 
horse  and  ride  to  the  army  and  tell  Monsieur  Martin  what 
has  happened.*  I  ran  into  the  stable  and  saddled  it,  took 
two  loaves  of  bread,  one  for  him  and  one  for  myself,  and 
started.      I  should  have  been  here  in  the  middle  of  the 


154  NO  SURRENDER 

day,  but  I  lost  my  way  in  the  lanes  last  night,  and  had  to 
stop  till  daylight,  and  even  then  rode  for  a  long  time  in  the 
wrong  direction." 

Leaving  the  lad  and  horse  in  the  middle  of  the  square, 
Leigh  went  to  the  steps  of  the  church.  A  great  number  of 
peasants  were  sleeping  there.  He  was  not  long  in  finding 
his  own  band.  He  roused  Andre  and  Pierre  with  some 
difficulty,  for  having  both  been  up  all  the  previous  night, 
they  slept  heavily. 

"  Come  with  me,''  Leigh  said,  as  soon  as  they  were  suffi- 
ciently roused  to  understand  who  was  speaking  to  them. 
"  I  want  to  have  a  talk  with  you.  I  have  some  bad  news,'* 
he  went  on,  as  they  passed  beyond  the  sleepers ;  "  the 
Blues  have  been  at  the  chateau  ;  they  have  burned  it  down, 
and  have  carried  off  Madame  Martin." 

Exclamations  of  rage  broke  from  both  the  lads.  Patsey 
had,  during  the  months  she  had  spent  on  the  estate,  made 
herself  extremely  popular  among  the  peasantry,  whose 
cottages  she  constantly  visited,  and  who  always  found 
her  ready  to  listen  to  their  tales  of  trouble,  and  to  supply 
dainty  food  for  the  sick.  The  thought,  too,  that  the  chateau 
had  been  burned  down  was  also  a  blow,  for  all  the  tenantry 
considered  that  they  had  a  personal  interest  in  the  affairs 
of  their  seigneur. 

*^  How  was  it  that  there  was  no  defence?  "  Andre  asked. 
*'  I  know  that  most  of  the  men  were  away,  but  surely 
enough  might  have  been  gathered  to  keep  the  Blues  back 
until  madame  escaped  to  the  woods." 

"  It  seems  they  rode  by  night,  and  arrived  there  soon 
after  day  broke.  They  had  evidently  come  on  purpose  to 
seize  your  lord,  for  as  soon  as  they  found  that  he  was  not 
there  they  went  away  at  once,  only  stopping  to  set  fire  to 
the  chateau.     They  were  evidently  in  a  hurry  to  be  off. 


BAD    NEWS  155 

Here  is  Philippe  Rehan,  who  has  brought  the  news.  He 
only  knows  what  I  have  told  you,  as  he  mounted  and  rode 
off  at  once." 

"  I  suppose  they  have  taken  our  young  lord  too  ?  '* 

"  Philippe  does  not  know  about  that.  He  says  they 
came  from  the  direction  of  Nantes,  and  no  doubt  my  sister 
has  been  taken  there." 

"What  is  to  be  done,  captain?"  Andr^  asked,  as  he 
and  Pierre  looked  at  each  other  helplessly  in  face  of  this 
trouble. 

'*  Monsieur  Martin  and  I  are  going  to  leave  at  once.  We 
don't  know  what  we  are  going  to  do  yet,  but  we  shall  cer- 
tainly try  by  all  means  to  get  her  out  of  prison.  How  it  is 
to  be  managed  we  have  not  even  thought,  but  il  it  can  be 
done  we  shall  do  it.  Now,  I  am  sure  that  we  can  rely 
upon  your  assistance." 

"  We  will  do  anything,"  Andr^  exclaimed ;  while  Pierre 
said,  '*  We  will  be  cut  to  pieces  for  you,  captain." 

Leigh  gave  a  hand  to  each.  *'  I  am  sure  of  it,"  he  said. 
"And  the  band?" 

**  Every  one  of  those  we  had  at  first  we  could  answer 
for,"  Andre  replied.  "And  I  believe  that  the  others  can 
be  trusted  too.  They  all  esteem  it  a  high  honour  to  have 
been  received  into  the  band  of  Cathelineau's  scouts. 
They  knew  that  there  would  be  danger  when  they  joined, 
and  that  they  must  be  prepared  to  die  for  the  cause.  All 
would  certainly  be  faithful;  there  would  be  no  fear  about 
that." 

"  I  have  not  the  least  idea  at  present  what  I  shall  want 
you  to  do;  but  at  any  rate  we  shall  go  to  Nantes,  and  it 
is  there  that  you  must  meet  us.  We  shall  ride  off  in  an 
hour's  time.  Let  the  others  sleep  till  there  is  a  general 
movement,  then  you  can  tell  them  what  has  happened, 


156  NO   SURRENDER 

and  that  ray  orders  are  that  you  shall  march  home  at  once. 
You  can  be  there  by  to-morrow  night,  can  you  not?" 

"  It  will  be  two  long  marches,  but  we  will  be  there, 
captain." 

*'  We  shall  not  be  much  before  you.  By  that  time  we  shall 
have  determined  how  we  shall  set  about  the  matter,  and 
shall  be  able  to  give  you  instructions,  which  will  probably 
be  that  you  are  to  meet  us  at  some  point  we  will  arrange, 
just  outside  the  town.  Of  course  you  will  not  go  in  a 
body,  but  singly  or  in  pairs,  crossing  the  river  at  various 
points  and  travelling  by  different  roads.  Enter  the  town  as 
if  you  belonged  to  villages  round.  I  will  ask  Monsieur  de 
la  Rochejaquelein  to  let  you  have  another  pistol  each 
before  you  leave.  Of  course  you  will  hide  your  arms 
under  your  clothes.  I  don't  know  that  it  will  be  necessary 
to  use  force ;  of  course,  at  first  we  shall  try  bribery.  At 
any  rate,  you  will  both  be  most  useful  in  obtaining  infor- 
mation. There  are  very  many  people  who  know  Monsieur 
Martin  by  sight,  and  a  few  who  know  me.  Possibly 
some  of  your  band  may  have  friends  in  Nantes,  and 
these,  if  they  are  of  our  party,  would  be  able  to  ask 
questions  and  to  find  out  the  place  in  which  my  sister 
is  imprisoned  much  better  than  strangers  could  do.  We 
have  heard  nothing  of  what  is  passing  in  Nantes  for 
many  weeks,  and  as  they  have  sent  troops  to  arrest 
Monsieur  Martin,  it  is  possible  that  his  father  may  also 
be  arrested.  If  he  is  at  liberty  he  would  be  sure  to  know 
where  my  sister  is  imprisoned." 

The  day  was  breaking  now,  and  Leigh  went  next  to  the 
large  house  which  had  been  set  apart  for  the  use  of  the 
generals.  He  knew  Rochejaquelein's  room,  having  been 
chatting  with  him  till  late  the  evening  before.  The  young 
count  sat  up  in  bed  as  he  opened  the  door. 


BAD   NEWS  157 

"You  have  given  me  a  start,  Leigh,"  he  said  with  a 
smile.  "  I  was  dreaming  that  the  Blues  had  retaken  the 
town,  and  when  the  door  opened  thought  that  it  was  a 
party  come  to  make  me  prisoner.  Is  there  any  bad  news  ? 
You  look  grave." 

"  Bad  news  as  far  as  Jean  Martin  and  I  are  concerned. 
A  messenger  arrived  two  hours  ago  with  the  news  that  a 
party  of  Blues  from  Nantes  arrived  at  his  chateau  without 
being  observed,  as  they  had  travelled  all  night  and  reached 
it  at  daybreak.  They  had  no  doubt  been  specially  sent  to 
arrest  Jean,  but,  finding  that  he  was  away,  they  burnt  the 
chateau  and  carried  off  my  sister  a  prisoner.  We  are  going 
to  start  at  once.  I  trust  that  you  will  explain  to  the  other 
generals  the  cause  of  our  absence." 

"  I  am  sorry  indeed  to  hear  your  news,"  Rochejaquelein 
said  warmly.  "  A  curse  upon  the  Blues  !  Why  can't  they 
content  themselves  with  making  war  on  men,  without  per- 
secuting and  massacring  women?  Certainly  I  will  explain 
to  Cathelineau  and  the  others  the  cause  of  your  absence. 
But  what  are  you  thinking  of  doing?" 

"  That  we  have  not  even  considered.  We  mean  to  get  her 
out  of  their  hands,  if  possible,  but  until  we  see  whether  she 
has  been  really  taken  to  Nantes  —  of  which  I  have  little 
doubt  —  which  prison  she  is  placed  in,  and  how  it  is  guarded, 
we  can  form  no  plan.  If  possible,  we  shall  bribe  the 
jailers ;  if  not,  we  will  try  to  rescue  her  by  force.  I  am 
taking  my  band  with  me.  I  can  depend  upon  them,  and 
there  is  no  one  in  Nantes  on  whom  we  can  rely.  They 
will  of  course  enter  the  town  singly,  and  will,  I  am  sure, 
give  us  their  loyal  service  should  we  require  it." 

"If  they  serve  you  as  well  as  they  serve  the  cause,  you 
could  scarce  have  better  assistants.  I  would  that  I  could 
go  with  you  ;  it  would  be  an  adventure  after  my  own  heart ; 


158  NO   SURRENDER 

but  private  friendship  must  give  way  to  our  country's  needs. 
I  hope,  Leigh,  that  it  will  not  be  long  before  we  meet  again, 
and  that  I  may  hear  that  you  have  been  successful." 

Half  an  hour  later  Leigh  and  Jean  Martin  started.  The 
latter's  first  question  when  Leigh  returned  had  been  regard- 
ing the  child.  It  was  now  nearly  fifteen  months  old,  but  in 
the  terrible  shock  caused  by  the  news  of  his  wife  having 
been  carried  off,  Jean  had  not  thought  of  it  till  Leigh  had 
left  the  room. 

**  The  child  is  as  nothing  to  me,"  he  said  when  Leigh  had 
told  him  that  the  messenger  had  heard  nothing  of  it.  "  It 
would  have  been  some  day,  but  so  far  't  is  as  nothing  com- 
pared to  Patsey.  It  slept  with  the  nurse,  and  may  possibly 
have  escaped,  unless,  indeed,  Patsey  wished  to  take  it  with 
her." 

"I  do  not  think  that  she  would  do  that,"  Leigh  said. 
*^No  doubt  it  would  have  been  a  comfort  to  have  it  with 
her,  but  she  would  have  known  that  its  chances  of  life 
would  be  slight  indeed,  and  for  your  sake  she  would  have 
concealed  it,  if  possible,  before  she  was  seized." 

They  reached  the  ruins  of  the  chateau  at  noon  next  day, 
having  stopped  for  the  night  at  Chemille,  in  order  to  rest 
their  horses  and  keep  them  in  condition  for  another  long 
ride  if  necessary.  The  outhouse  had  been  left  standing. 
Frangois  came  out  on  hearing  the  sound  of  the  horses' 
hoofs. 

"  Thank  God  you  are  back,  master !  "  he  said.  "  It  has 
been  a  terrible  time." 

"  Is  the  child  safe,  or  was  it  taken  with  its  mother  ? " 
Jean  asked. 

"  He  is  safe,  sir  ;  Marthe  saved  it.  When  madame  heard 
the  Blues  ride  up,  and  looked  out  and  saw  their  uniforms, 
she   ran   into   Marthe's   room  and  said,  *  Hide  the  child, 


BAD   NEWS  159 

Marthe !  Run  with  it  downstairs  without  waking  it,  and 
put  it  in  a  cupboard  in  the  kitchen.  They  will  never 
think  of  searching  for  it  there.  Then  return  to  your  bed 
again.  Tell  your  master,  when  he  comes  back  again,  I 
have  left  little  Louis  for  him.'  I  was  getting  up  when 
I  heard  the  horsemen,  and  guessed  that  it  was  the 
Blues,  and  without  waiting  a  moment  dropped  from  my 
window  and  ran  past  the  stable  and  hid  myself  in  the 
shrubbery  behind  it.  I  had  scarcely  done  so  when  I  heard 
them  come  round  the  house.  Then  there  was  a  great 
knocking  at  the  door,  and  a  minute  later  a  pistol-shot  was 
fired.  I  heard  afterwards  that  madame  told  Henri  to  open 
the  door.  As  he  did  so  the  officer  of  the  Blues  shot  him 
through  the  head. 

"  For  ten  minutes  I  heard  nothing  more.  Then  someone 
came  to  the  stable,  took  out  the  two  horses,  and  then  set 
fire  to  it.  Looking  out  through  the  bushes  I  saw  the 
smoke  coming  out  from  two  or  three  windows  of  the 
chateau.  Then  I  made  off  as  quickly  as  I  could,  got  into 
the  church,  and  set  the  bells  ringing,  thinking  that  it 
might  frighten  off  the  Blues,  though  I  knew  that  the  men 
were  all  away,  and  there  was  no  chance  of  help.  Soon  they 
came  riding  along  at  full  speed,  and  I  saw  madame  in  the 
middle  of  them.  As  soon  as  they  had  gone  the  women  all 
ran  out  from  their  houses.  We  tried  our  best  to  put  out 
the  flames,  but  the  fire  had  too  much  hold.  As  we  were 
doing  this  I  saw  Marthe  with  the  child  in  her  arms. 

"  It  had  been  saved  well-nigh  by  a  miracle,  she  said,  and 
she  told  me  how  her  mistress  had  run  in  to  her.  She 
caught  up  the  child,  and  then,  thinking  that  if  they  saw 
its  clothes  they  would  search  for  it,  she  opened  the 
drawers,  seized  them  all,  and  ran  down  and  put  them  and 
the  child  into  the  kitchen  cupboard   as  her  mistress  had 


160  NO   SURRENDER 

told  her,  then  ran  back  to  her  bedroom  and  began  to  dress. 
She  heard  her  mistress  call  to  Henri  to  go  down  and  open 
the  door,  she  heard  the  pistol-shot,  and  the  Blues  pour 
into  the  house.  She  hurried  on  her  clothes  and  went  out. 
They  were  searching  all  over  the  chateau.  The  officer 
came  up  to  her  with  a  pistol  in  his  hand. 

"  *  Where  is  your  master?  *  he  said. 

"  *  I  do  not  know,'  she  replied.  '  He  rode  away  from 
here  ten  days  ago,  and  has  not  been  back  since.* 

" '  That  is  the  tale  your  mistress  tells,*  he  said. 

"  *  It  is  true,  sir.  You  go  into  the  village  and  ask  any  of 
the  women  there,  they  will  tell  you  the  same  thing.  I  will 
swear  on  the  cross  that  it  is  so.* 

"  He  seemed  very  angry,  but  turned  away  from  her. 
Presently  the  mistress  came  down  under  a  guard  of  two 
soldiers,  and  as  she  passed  she  said : 

" '  Good-bye,  Marthe.  Tell  your  master  that  I  am 
thankful  indeed  that  he  was  not  here.' 

^'  Then  the  officers  told  the  men  to  set  fire  to  the  house  in 
a  dozen  places.  They  had  all  got  bundles,  having  taken 
everything  they  thought  of  value.  As  soon  as  they  had 
set  fire  to  the  curtains  everywhere,  and  saw  that  the  flames 
had  got  a  good  hold,  they  mounted  and  rode  off.  They 
had  not  searched  the  kitchen  much,  as  they  had  only 
opened  the  closets  large  enough  for  a  man  to  hide  in,  and 
not  expecting  to  find  anything  worth  taking,  had  not 
troubled  themselves  to  look  into  the  small  ones,  so  Marthe 
had  only  to  take  the  child  out.  Fortunately  it  had  not 
awoke.  When  we  found  that  it  was  hopeless  to  try  and 
put  the  fire  out  Marthe  took  the  child  over  to  the  farm  of 
Madame  Rehan,  who,  as  soon  as  she  got  the  news  of  the 
mistress  being  carried  off,  had  sent  her  son  away  on  horse- 
back to  tell  you." 


BAD   NEWS  161 

"  Thank  God  the  child  has  been  spared !  "  Jean  Martin 
said  reverently.  "  We  will  go  to  the  cure's ;  the  boys  will 
all  be  back  to-night.  Give  the  horses  a  good  feed ;  we 
shall  set  out  perhaps  to-night,  perhaps  to-morrow  morn- 
ing." 

"Ah,  Monsieur  Martin,"  the  cut6  said  as  they  entered 
his  house,  "  this  is  a  sad  home-coming  for  you.  If  we  had 
known  that  the  Blues  were  coming  but  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  before  they  arrived,  we  could  have  got  madame  away 
to  a  place  of  safety.  I  knew  nought  about  it  until  the 
church  bells  began  to  ring.  Just  as  I  was  about  to  go  out 
five  minutes  later  to  learn  the  cause,  I  saw  them  ride  past 
with  Madame  Martin  in  their  midst.  We  did  not  know 
that  there  were  any  of  them  within  twenty  miles  of  us,  and 
thought  that  there  was  no  chance  whatever  of  their  coming 
to  a  little  village  like  ours." 

"  They  came,  no  doubt,  for  me,"  Jean  said  gloomily.  "  If 
they  had  found  Leigh  and  myself  at  home  they  would  not 
have  taken  the  place  so  easily.  He  and  I  and  the  two  -men 
could  have  made  a  stout  defence.  I  hear  that  there  were 
not  more  than  twenty  of  them,  and  I  warrant  that  there 
would  not  have  been  many  of  them  left  when  the  fight  was 
over." 

"  I  am  sure,"  the  curd  said,  "  that  if  you  had  been  there, 
and  the  place  had  been  defended,  all  the  women  within 
sound  of  the  church  bell  would  have  come  in  with  arms, 
and  would  have  fought  like  men  in  the  defence  of  yourself 
and  madame ;  but  as  it  was,  the  whole  thing  was  such  a 
surprise,  with  everyone  in  bed  and  asleep,  that  the  enemy 
were  off  before  anyone  could  think  of  what  had  best  be 
done.  As  it  was,  the  women  from  all  the  farms  round 
were  here  armed  with  hatchets  or  pitchforks  half  an  hour 
after  the  bell  began  to  ring.     Of  course,  in  the  village  here 

XI 


162  NO  SURRENDER 

we  knew  that  it  was  too  late  to  do  anything  but  to  flock 
to  the  church  and  pray  for  the  safety  of  our  good  lady." 

"  Thank  you,  my  friend.  Leigh  and  I  are  going  to 
Nantes  to  see  if  anything  can  be  done  to  get  her  out  of 
prison.  Leigh's  band  are  coming  also.  Of  course  they  will 
travel  singly.  If  of  no  other  use,  they  will  be  better  able  to 
ask  questions  than  we.  I  am  going  over  now  to  Rehan's 
farm  to  see  my  boy  and  to  thank  Marthe  for  saving  him." 

"  It  was  well  managed  indeed,"  the  priest  said.  "I  went 
over  yesterday  to  see  the  child,  and  the  nurse  told  me  how 
its  escape  had  been  contrived.  It  was  a  happy  thought  on 
the  part  of  its  mother,  and  the  woman  carried  it  out  well. 
But  before  you  go  you  must  take  a  meal.  I  am  sure  that 
you  must  want  it." 

"  I  will  not  say  no  to  that,"  Jean  replied,  "  for  we  have 
not  broken  our  fast  this  morning." 

In  half  an  hour  the  curd's  table  was  most  abundantly 
furnished,  for  as  soon  as  the  news  spread  through  the 
village  that  the  seigneur  had  arrived,  and  was  at  the  house 
of  the  priest,  the  women  brought  in  little  presents  —  a 
dozen  eggs,  a  fowl,  or  some  trout  that  had  been  caught  by 
the  boys  in  the  stream  that  morning.  One  or  two  of  the 
women  volunteered  to  assist  the  cure's  servant.  Three 
fowls  were  hastily  plucked,  cut  asunder,  and  grilled  over 
the  fire.  As  soon  as  they  were  nearly  ready  they  were 
placed  in  front  of  the  fire  to  be  finished,  while  the  trout 
took  their  place.  The  repast  began  with  these,  the  fowls 
followed,  and  it  was  concluded  with  an  omelette. 

"I  have  not  eaten  such  a  meal,  father,"  Martin  said, 
"  since  I  rode  away.  I  think  after  this  I  shall  be  able  to 
take  a  more  hopeful  view  of  matters.  In  that  respect  the 
meal  will  be  thrown  away  upon  Leigh,  for  he  always  takes 
the  brightest  view  of  everything,  and  has  never  ceased  to 


BA©   NEWS  163 

assure  me  that  we  are  sure  to  manage  to  get  my  wife  out 
of  the  hands  of  these  villains  somehow,  and  as  he  has  so  far 
always  succeeded  in  what  he  has  attempted,  I  feel  a  good 
deal  of  faith  in  him.  I  should  be  as  hopeful  as  he  if  I 
knew  that  the  Henriette  was  in  the  river  at  Nantes,  and 
that  I  had  to  my  hand  a  dozen  stout  fellows  I  could 
thoroughly  rely  on." 

After  paying  a  visit  to  the  farm,  praising  Marthe,  and 
arranging  that  she  should  continue  to  live  there,  they 
returned  to  the  village. 

«We  will  go  over  to  the  chateau,  Leigh,  before  we  do 
anything  else.     I  want  to  see  how  hot  the  ruins  are." 

*'I  should  think  that  they  must  be  pretty  cool  by  this 
time,  Jean;  you  see  it  is  nearly  four  days  since  it  was 
burnt." 

**  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  walls  will  be  cool  enough ; 
but  there  was  a  lot  of  woodwork  about  it.  When  the 
roof  fell  in  it  would  smother  the  fire  for  a  time,  but  it 
might  go  on  smouldering  even  now." 

"  But  what  does  it  matter,  Jean  ?  " 

"  It  matters  a  good  deal.  I  have  with  me  only  a  hundred 
francs  in  paper,  which  is  not  worth  above  a  third  of  its  face 
value ;  I  have  here  four  thousand  in  gold,  which  I  brought 
with  me  from  Nantes  as  soon  as  the  troubles  began.  I 
buried  it  one  day  under  the  hearth-stone  of  the  kitchen, 
thinking  it  possible  that  the  Blues  might  come  here.  The 
money  is  of  the  utmost  importance  now,  for  we  may  want 
it  to  bribe  some  of  the  jailers,  and  therefore  I  must  get  it, 
even  if  it  delays  us  for  a  day." 

They  found  indeed  that,  as  they  had  feared,  there  was 
still  fire  among  the  mass  of  debris. 

**  We  must  quench  it  before  we  can  do  anything,  Jean. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  the  women  will  help.'^ 


164-  NO   SURRENDER 

Frangois  was  at  once  sent  round,  and  in  a  short  time  all 
the  women  in  the  place  were  assembled  with  pails.  Martin 
and  Frangois  worked  the  windlass  of  the  well,  the  women 
carried  pails  of  water,  and  Leigh  threw  the  contents  on  to 
the  smouldering  mass  above  where  he  knew  the  kitchen  fire- 
place must  have  stood.  Clouds  of  steam  rose,  and  from 
time  to  time  some  of  the  women  with  rakes  pulled  oif  the 
upper  layer  of  ashes.  They  worked  till  nightfall,  by  which 
time  steam  had  ceased  to  rise. 

**That  will  do  for  to-night,"  Jean  said;  *^we  will  finish 
the  job  to-morrow  morning.  Your  band  will  be  here 
by  that  time,  and  will  help  us  to  get  some  of  these  heavy 
beams  and  timbers  out  of  the  way.  We  can  then  rake  the 
smaller  stuff  out  and  get  at  the  fireplace." 

At  eight  o'clock  the  band  arrived.  Leigh  went  down  and 
spoke  to  them,  and  thanked  them  for  the  two  long  marches 
they  had  made.  He  had  during  the  afternoon  obtained  a 
supply  of  bread  and  wine,  and  after  they  fell  out  a  meal 
was  eaten  before  they  started  for  their  homes,  promising  to 
be  back  at  six  in  the  morning  to  aid  in  the  work  of  clearing 
away  the  debris.  Jean  and  Leigh  spent  a  couple  of  hours  in 
talk  with  the  cur^,  and  related  to  him  the  events  that  had 
passed  since  they  had  left.  Then,  thoroughly  tired  out,  they 
retired  to  the  room  that  had  been  prepared  for  them.  The 
work  that  afternoon  had  been  heavy  ;  they  had  had  a  long 
ride  previously,  and  neither  had  slept  much  the  night  before. 
The  next  morning  the  work  was  recommenced.  During 
the  night  the  fire  had  crept  in  again  from  the  surround- 
ing mass  ;  but  there  were  plenty  of  hands  now,  and  in  an 
hour  it  was  again  extinguished.  The  hearth-stone  was 
soon  cleared  and  raised,  and  Martin  brought  out  a  crock  in 
which  he  had  placed  the  gold. 

**  Now,  Leigh,"  he   said,    '^  you  had  better  have  a  talk 


BAD   NEWS  165 

with  your  boys  and  arrange  where  they  are  to  meet  you. 
I  should  not  press  any  of  them  who  are  unwilling  to  go. 
This  is  a  private  business,  and  I  do  not  think  that  it  would 
be  right  to  urge  them." 

"  Certainly  not,"  Leigh  agreed.  "  I  am  quite  sure  that 
all  our  boys  will  go  with  us,  both  for  Patsey's  sake  and  be- 
cause they  are  furious  at  the  chateau  being  burnt  down  ; 
as  to  the  others,  I  shall  put  it  to  them  that  they  are  per- 
fectly free  to  do  as  they  wish.  They  can  go  with  us,  or 
they  can  rejoin  the  army,  just  as  they  like.  If  they  go,  I 
think  that  it  would  be  as  well  that  they  did  not  enter  the 
town,  but  should  take  up  their  quarters  in  a  copse  or  in 
a  deserted  house,  a  mile  or  two  away,  so  that  we  could 
call  them  if  we  wanted  them.  Even  in  a  town  like 
Nantes,  forty  strange  boys  wandering  about  might  be 
noticed." 

Martin,  after  seeing  that  the  workers  all  had  refreshment, 
went  to  the  cure's,  as  he  never  interfered  in  any  way  with 
the  boys,  thinking  that  it  might  lessen  Leigh's  authority 
were  he  to  do  so. 

**  Now,  I  want  to  talk  to  you  all,"  Leigh  said,  after  they 
had  drunk  their  wine  and  eaten  their  bread.  "  In  the  first 
place,  do  I  understand  that  all  who  were  first  with  me  are 
ready  to  run  a  considerable  risk,  to  attempt  with  us  to  carry 
off  Madame  Martin  from  the  hands  of  the  Blues,  and  to 
save  her  from  the  fate  that  falls  upon  every  one  that  they 
once  lay  a  hand  upon?" 

"They  are  all  willing,  captain,"  Andre  said.  "We 
spoke  to  them  again  just  before  we  came  in  last  night, 
and  they  all  said  that  they  were  willing  and  anxious." 

"  Good.  Remember,  lads,  that  it  is  not  too  late  to  draw 
back  now." 

"  We  should  not  dare  show  our  face  in  the  village  again," 


166  NO   SURRENDER 

Pierre  said,  "  if  we  were  to  hang  back  when  there  was  a 
chance  of  our  being  of  service  to  so  good  a  lady." 

"I  thank  you  with  all  my  heart,"  Leigh  said.  "I  tell 
you  fairly  that  I  expected  such  an  answer.  Those  who  have 
shown  such  courage  as  you  have  done,  and  have  been  so 
loyal  to  the  promises  made  me  when  I  first  enrolled  you, 
would,  I  felt  certain,  not  hang  back  now.  Now,  do  you 
draw  aside  for  a  minute  or  two  while  I  speak  to  the 
others." 

There  was  a  movement,  and  the  two  groups  stood  apart. 

"  Your  case  is  different  from  that  of  the  others,"  he  said. 
"  In  the  first  place,  you  have  not  been  with  me  so  long,  and 
secondly  —  and  this  is  more  important  —  that  Madame  Martin 
is  not  the  wife  of  your  seigneur,  and  that  you  owe  no  duty 
to  her.  The  enterprise  on  which  we  are  going  to  start 
does  not  concern  the  cause  for  which  we  are  fighting ;  it  is  a 
private  business,  and  there  is  no  occasion  whatever  for  you 
to  take  part  in  it.  You  are  free  either  to  choose  an  officer 
among  yourselves,  or  to  rejoin  the  army,  find  Monsieur  de 
la  Rochejaquelein,  and  tell  him  that  I  sent  you  to  him  in 
order  that  he  might  find  a  suitable  leader  for  you  among 
the  gentlemen  with  him.  T  would  rather  that  you  talked 
the  matter  over  among  yourselves,  and  came  and  gave  me 
an  answer  in  half  an  hour." 

''Will  you  tell  us  what  we  shall  have  to  do,  captain?" 
one  of  them  said. 

"  That  I  can  hardly  do,  for  I  do  not  know  myself.  How- 
ever, I  think  it  probable  that  the  greater  portion  of  the 
band  would  remain  outside  the  town.  There  are  copses 
down  by  the  river-side  where  you  could  wait  in  safety  until 
you  were  wanted.  Possibly  you  might  not  be  wanted  at 
all,  possibly  you  might  be  summoned  to  take  part  in  so 
desperate   an  enterprise   as   storming   one   of  the   prisons. 


BAD   NEWS  167 

Of  course  it  would  be  done  at  night,  when  we  should  have 
the  advantage  of  a  surprise.  I  can  tell  you  no  more  than 
that.  Now,  my  last  word  is,  I  shall  not  think  any  the 
worse  of  you  if  you  decide  not  to  go  with  me." 

It  wanted  five  minutes  of  the  time,  when  two  of  the  boys 
returned  to  where  he  was  talking  with  Pierre  and  Andre. 

"  We  have  decided,  captain.  You  told  us  when  you 
marched  away  from  Saumur  that  M.  de  la  Rochejaquelein 
had  approved  of  your  taking  us,  and  therefore  we  shall  feel 
that  we  are  still  doing  our  duty  to  the  cause.  You  have 
been  kind,  good,  and  thoughtful  while  we  have  been  with 
you.  All  those  of  our  own  age  in  the  army  envied  us  who 
were  of  Cathelineau's  scouts,  and  regarded  our  position  as 
a  great  honour.  Even  if  we  were  willing  to  go  back,  we 
could  not  do  so  and  tell  the  others  that  we  had  left  you 
and  our  comrades  when  you  were  about  to  undertake  some 
perilous  service.  But  we  do  not  wish  it.  We  all  desire  to 
remain  with  you  and  to  follow  wherever  you  may  lead  us, 
and  to  die  in  your  service  if  need  be." 

Leigh  shook  them  warmly  by  the  hand. 

"  Bravely  said,  and  I  thank  you  heartily.  I  am  proud  of 
my  scouts,  and  am  glad  to  see  that  my  confidence  in  you  is 
well  founded.     Call  the  others  up." 

After  thanking  these  also,  Leigh  addressed  the  whole  of 
them. 

"  Now,  I  will  give  you  your  orders.  You  must  make 
your  way  by  different  routes  to  Nantes.  There  are  many 
villages  on  the  bank  where  you  can  find  a  boat  that  will 
take  you  across.  Never  travel  more  than  two  together.  You 
must  all  take  the  green  ribbons  off  your  hats,  leave  your 
belts  behind,  and  hide  your  pistols.  If  questions  are  asked 
you,  reply  that  you  are  going  to  get  work  at  Nantes,  where 
you  have  friends,  and  that  you  are  afraid  to  stay  in  your 


168  NO   SURRENDER 

own  villages.  I  will  give  each  of  you  assignats  for  five 
francs.  It  would  not  do  to  give  you  silver.  With  this 
you  can  pay  for  your  ferry  across  the  water  and  buy  food 
on  the  way.  It  were  best  that  both  on  this  side  of  the 
river  and  the  other  you  travel  either  by  by-lanes  or  through 
the  fields. 

"  When  you  get  near  Nantes,  keep  close  to  the  river,  and 
enter  the  last  large  copse  before  you  get  there.  Andr^  or 
Pierre  are  likely  to  be  there  first,  and  will  be  on  the  look- 
out for  you.  They  will  join  me  in  the  town  and  bring  you 
orders  when  necessary,  and  will  send  two  or  three  of  you 
in  daily  to  buy  food  for  the  rest.  I  can  give  you  no  orders 
beyond  that.  Now,  I  hope  I  shall  meet  you  all  in  three 
days'  time  at  your  rendezvous.  Pierre  and  Andre,  you  will, 
on  the  evening  after  you  arrive,  enter  Nantes,  following 
the  river  bank.  You  will  go  along  to  a  spot  where  a  church 
faces  the  river.  Sit  down  on  its  steps  and  wait  for  us  until 
the  clock  strikes  ten.  If  we  are  not  there,  return  and 
come  back  the  next  evening.  If  we  are  still  not  there,  you 
will  know  that  some  bad  luck  has  befallen  us,  and  the  band 
will  then  disperse,  and  you  will  all  find  your  way  up  home. 
I  should  advise  you  all  to  travel  by  night  when  you  have 
once  crossed  the  Loire.  In  that  way  you  will  avoid  any 
risk  of  being  questioned." 

The  boys  then  dispersed,  and  Leigh  returned  to  the 
priest's.  He  and  Martin  had  already  talked  over  their  dis- 
guises, and  had  agreed  that  those  of  fishermen  would  be 
the  most  appropriate ;  but  until  they  could  obtain  the  neces- 
sary clothes,  they  would  go  in  the  attire  of  fairly  well-to-do 
people  in  a  country  town. 

"  We  should  only  have  to  put  on  a  tricolour  scarf,  Jean, 
and  should  look  like  municipal  authorities." 

''It  would   go   against   the   grain   to   put  that  rag  on,'' 


BAD   NEWS  169 

Martin  said ;  "  but  your  idea  is  a  good  one,  and  I  would 
dress  up  as  a  general  of  the  Blues  or  as  Robespierre  himself 
on  such  an  errand  as  we  are  bound  on.  We  cannot  do 
better  than  go  to  Clisson.  The  place  is  in  the  hands  of  our 
people,  and  the  village  authorities  will  not  dare  to  ask  us 
any  questions." 

After  dining  with  the  cur^,  they  mounted  and  rode  to 
Clisson,  arriving  there  at  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
They  went  to  the  leader  of  the  force  there^  as  he  was  a 
friend  of  Jean's. 

"  I  will  send  and  get  you  the  things,"  he  said,  when  they 
told  him  the  object  of  their  visit.  "  It  is  just  as  well,  if 
any  of  the  people  here  are  acting  as  spies  for  the  Blues  — 
which  is  likely  enough  —  that  they  should  not  be  able  to 
give  any  description  of  you.  We  are  all  three  about  the 
same  size  therefore  I  will  go  out  and  buy  two  suits.  As  to 
the  scarves,  I  am  more  doubtful.  I  doubt  if  any  shopkeeper 
here  would  admit  that  he  had  even  a  bit  of  tricolour  ribbon 
in  his  possession." 

"  It  will  not  matter  about  that,"  Martin  said ;  "  and,  at 
any  rate,  when  we  get  beyond  the  ground  held  by  us,  we 
shall  find  no  difficulty  whatever  in  getting  a  couple  of 
cockades  of  those  colours. 

"Thank  you  very  much  indeed,"  he  went  on.  "Here 
are  five  louis ;  I  have  no  doubt  that  you  will  be  able  to  lay 
them  out  well  for  us.  But  remember,  please,  that  although 
we  are  all  three  the  same  height,  I  am  some  four  or  five 
inches  bigger  round  the  shoulders  than  Leigh,  and  want 
more  room  for  my  arms  also." 

"  I  will  remember,"  the  other  laughed.  '*  Just  let  me  pass 
this  string  round  you,  and  then  round  Monsieur  Stansfield, 
and  tie  two  knots  in  it ;  and  I  will  also  measure  you  round 
the  waist  and  leg." 


170  NO   SURRENDER 

In  an  hour  he  returned  with  one  of  his  men  carrying  two 
parcels. 

"I  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  the  clothes  for  your 
brother-in-law,"  he  said,  "  but  I  had  to  go  to  two  or  three 
shops  before  I  could  get  coat  and  breeches  wide  enough  for 
you.     What  do  you  intend  to  do  with  your  horses?" 

"  We  shall  ride  into  Nantes  as  we  are  after  nightfall,  and 
shall  put  them  up  at  a  small  inn.  I  know  of  one  near  the 
water;  it  is  kept  by  a  man  who  was  at  one  time  in  my 
lugger,  but  he  had  his  leg  crushed  in  a  storm,  and  had  to 
have  it  taken  off.  He  was  a  good  sailor,  so  I  set  him  up, 
and  can  rely  upon  him.  He  will  get  fishermen's  clothes 
for  us,  and,  should  we  have  to  stay  there  any  time,  buy  a 
boat  and  nets.     We  may  want  such  a  thing  badly." 

The  clothes  were  tried  on  and  found  to  fit  fairly  well.  In 
our  days  the  short-waisted  coats  with  their  long  tails,  and 
the  waistcoats  extending  below  the  waist,  would  be  deemed 
laughable,  but  as  it  was  then  the  fashion  among  the  middle 
classes,  and  especially  the  Republicans,  Jean  saw  nothing 
ridiculous  in  it,  while  Leigh  smiled  at  the  figures  they  cut. 
Both  had  bright  yellow  breeches  and  stockings,  and  low 
shoes.  They  waited  till  midnight  at  Clisson  and  then 
mounted  again,  and  by  morning  they  were  within  a  mile  or 
two  of  a  ferry  a  short  distance  above  Nantes.  They  stopped 
at  a  small  village  and  there  purchased  two  tricolour  cock- 
ades from  the  one  shop  it  boasted,  these  forming  conspicuous 
objects  in  the  window,  as  a  proof  of  the  warm  adherence  of 
its  owner  to  the  Convention. 

At  the  little  cabaret  they  took  breakfast  and  saw  that 
the  horses  were  fed,  then  they  rode  on  to  the  ferry.  The 
boat  was  on  the  opposite  side,  and  in  half  an  hour  it  crossed. 
Then  they  took  their  places  and  were  ferried  over.  A  party 
of  soldiers  were  posted  at  the  landing-place. 


BAD    NEWS  171 

**  You  are  going  to  Nantes,  I  suppose,  citizens  ?"  the  officer 
in  command  asked. 

"  We  are.  We  come  from  Vallet,  and  are  going  to  consult 
the  commissary  of  the  republic  concerning  some  taxes  that, 
as  we  consider,  it  is  impossible  for  the  town  to  pay,  which 
the  commissary  there  has  imposed  upon  us." 

"  I  should  imagine  that  your  errand  is  scarcely  likely  to 
meet  with  success,"  the  officer  said  with  a  light  smile.  "  I 
hear  the  same  complaints  at  Nantes,  but  have  not  heard 
that  any  remission  has  been  made.  Well,  citizens,  at  any 
rate  I  can  wish  you  luck  on  your  errand." 

It  was  still  very  early  when  they  rode  into  Nantes,  and 
but  few  people  were  about  the  streets.  Trade  was  almost 
at  a  stand-still.  The  town,  which  had  been  strongly  Repub- 
lican, was  at  once  deeply  discontented  with  the  crushing 
taxation  imposed  upon  it,  and  horrified  at  the  constant  exe- 
cutions that  took  place.  Almost  every  house  had  soldiers 
billeted  on  it,  as  it  was  considered  necessary  to  keep  a 
large  force  there  in  order  to  overawe  the  south  of  Brittany, 
and,  if  necessary,  to  send  supports  to  the  generals  operating 
in  the  west  of  La  Vendee.  There  was  scarcely  any  shipping 
in  the  river,  and  even  the  fishermen  had  almost  given  up 
plying  their  business  ;  their  best  customers  had  fallen  under 
the  guillotine,  and  there  was  no  demand  for  fish  on  fast 
days  —  for  to  practise  any  of  the  observances  of  religion 
was  considered  to  be  in  itself  a  proof  of  hostility  to  the 
Convention.  Therefore  Jean  and  Leigh  rode  into  the 
courtyard  of  the  little  inn  without  having  attracted  any 
attention  whatever. 


172  NO  SURRENDER 

CHAPTER  X 

PREPARATIONS    FOR  A   RESCUE 

"  T  HAVE   no   accommodation  for  you  here,  citizens,"  a 

X  voice  said,  as  Jean  Martin  and  Leigh  rode  into  the 
little  courtyard,  and  a  man  with  a  wooden  leg  came  out 
from  the  side  door  of  the  inn. 

"  I  think  you  might  be  able  to  manage  for  us,  Brenon," 
Jean  said. 

"Mon  Dieu!  itis  — " 

Jean  held  up  his  hand  sharply. 

"  Yes,  it  is  I,  Citizen  Gallon  from  Vallet.  It  is  not  often 
that  I  stir  so  far  from  home,  but  I  had  business  here." 

"  Well,  well,  I  will  see  what  I  can  do  for  you,  comrade  ; 
but,  as  you  know,  I  don't  profess  to  take  in  horses.  My 
clients  come  from  the  water-side,  and  generally  my  stable  is 
full  of  their  baskets  and  ropes.  However,  I  will  see  what  I 
can  do.  I  will  tie  them  up  in  that  shed  for  the  present,  and 
then  clear  out  a  stall  for  them  afterwards." 

The  horses  were  led  to  a  shed  encumbered  with  fishing 
gear  of  all  sorts. 

"What  madness  has  seized  you,  mon  capitaine,  to  put 
your  head  into  this  lion's  den  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you  presently,  Brenon,  when  we  get  inside. 
I  am  glad  that  you  are  able  to  take  the  horses  in.  We  don*t 
want  to  be  stared  at,  or  talked  about ;  we  have  come  along 
the  river  bank,  and,  so  far,  we  have  been  quite  unnoticed. 

"  All  the  better,  all  the  better ;  to  be  noticed  here  means 
to  have  one's  head  cut  off.  Now,  I  will  take  you  to  a  little 
room  upstairs  where  there  is  no  chance  of  anyone  seeing 
you." 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   RESCUE  173 

"  Get  US  up,  if  you  can,  without  our  being  noticed  by 
your  servants,  Brenon  :  we  shall  be  differently  dressed  when 
we  come  down  again." 

The  man  nodded. 

"The  boy  is  in  the  front  room,"  he  said.  "There  are 
three  or  four  fishermen  there  having  their  morning  glass. 
I  have  no  other  servants.  My  wife  does  what  is  needful, 
for  I  was  obliged  to  discharge  the  girl  we  had,  everything 
has  been  so  slack  of  late." 

He  led  them  up  to  a  chamber  looking  on  to  the  quay. 
Jean  was  puzzled  at  the  man's  manner,  for  he  spoke  in  a 
confused  and  hesitating  way.  When  he  closed  the  door 
behind  him,  he  stood  rubbing  his  hands  together  nervously. 

"  Have  you  heard  lately  from  Nantes,  Monsieur  Jean  ?  " 

"  No,  it  is  five  weeks  since  I  had  any  news,  except,  of 
course,  what  was  known  about  the  troops  that  were  here. 
What  is  it,  old  friend  ?     Is  there  bad  news  ?  " 

"There  is  terrible  news,"  Brenon  said,  "so  bad  that  I 
don't  know  how  to  tell  you." 

"  Speak  out,  old  friend ;  I  have  had  one  blow  so  heavy 
that  I  can  scarcely  be  hurt  more  than  I  am." 

**  Well,  then,  monsieur,  your  father  has  been  arrested  and 
is  in  the  prison,  and  you  know  what  that  means  !  " 

"  Father  arrested  !  "  Jean  exclaimed ;  "  on  what  grounds? 
He  never  expressed  an  opinion  as  to  public  affairs.  That  at 
heart  he  hated  what  has  been  going  on,  I  know ;  but  he 
never  spoke  strongly  even  to  me,  and  when  I  have  heard  his 
opinion  asked,  he  has  always  replied  that  he  was  a  trader, 
and  that  a  man  could  not  give  his  attention  to  business  if 
he  worried  himself  over  politics.  He  attended  to  his  trade, 
and  left  it  to  those  who  liked,  to  manage  the  government  of 
the  country.     What  of  my  mother  and  sister?" 

"  They  are  safe,  monsieur.     He  sent  them  off  a  fortnight 


174  NO   SURRENDER 

before  in  disguise  to  La  Rochelle ;  at  least,  so  I  have  heard 
from  the  fishermen.  And  as  the  Henriette  was  lying  there 
at  the  time,  and  sailed  two  days  after,  there  is  not  much 
doubt  but  that  they  sailed  in  her  for  England.  Your  father 
was  denounced  before  the  committee  of  public  safety  as 
one  who  was  hostile  to  the  Convention.  He  was  accused 
of  having  sent  large  sums  of  money  to  England,  and  was 
believed  to  have  sent  his  wife  and  daughter  there  also,  with 
the  intention,  of  course,  of  following  them ;  and  the  fact 
that  you  were  known  to  be  fighting  in  the  ranks  of  the 
brigands,  as  they  call  the  Vendeans,  was  also  mentioned  as 
an  additional  crime  on  his  part." 

"  Then  we  have  a  double  task  to  carry  out,  Leigh,"  Jean 
said  grimly.  "Now  I  will  tell  you  what  we  came  here  for, 
Brenon.  Six  days  ago  a  small  party  of  the  Blue  cavalry 
came  at  night  to  my  chateau.  I  was  away,  but  they  carried 
off  my  wife  as  a  prisoner,  and  burnt  the  house  to  the 
ground.  So  we  have  come  here  to  see  if  we  cannot  get  her 
out  of  prison." 

"You  have  thought  of  such  a  thing  as  that?"  the  man 
exclaimed  in  surprise.  "  Ah,  monsieur !  it  is  well-nigh  an 
impossibility  that  you  have  undertaken.  The  villains  know 
that  there  are  hundreds  of  men,  friends  of  the  prisoners 
with  whom  they  have  crowded  the  jails,  who  would  tear 
them  down  stone  by  stone  if  they  had  the  power;  but  in 
addition  to  the  prison  warders  —  not  the  men  that  used  to 
be  there,  but  men  taken  from  the  lowest  class  in  the  town  — 
the  prisons  are  watched  by  what  they  call  the  volunteers, 
fifteen  hundred  men  belonging  to  the  scum  of  the  city, 
the  men  from  the  slaughter-houses,  the  skinners*,  and  the 
tan-yards.  Some  of  these  are  ever  on  guard  round  the 
prisons  night  and  day.  There  have  been  great  changes 
here. 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   RESCUE  175 

"A  year  ago  almost  everyone  thought  that  the  Assembly 
was  going  to  do  wonderful  things,  no  one  knew  exactly  what. 
According  to  what  they  said,  everyone  was  to  be  able  to 
eat  meat  seven  days  a  week,  to  wear  good  clothes,  and  to 
do  just  as  much  work  as  pleased  him  and  no  more.  Even 
the  fishermen  and  sailors  were  fools  enough  to  believe  it. 
But  there  is  a  great  change  now.  At  first  they  approved 
of  cutting  off  the  heads  of  those  who,  they  were  told,  were 
the  cause  of  all  misery  and  poverty ;  but  when  every  day 
fresh  prisoners  were  brought  in,  and  it  was  not  the  nobles 
only  but  quiet  citizens,  —  tradesmen,  manufacturers,  doc- 
tors, and  advocates,  —  and  every  morning  a  score  were 
carried  out  to  be  guillotined,  men  began  to  change  their 
opinion,  especially  when  they  found  that  the  more  heads 
were  cut  off  the  less  work  there  was  and  the  poorer  they 
became.  They  began  to  talk  among  themselves,  and  when 
it  came  to  executing  women  and  children  as  well  as  men 
they  turned  round  altogether. 

"  More  than  once  the  fishermen  and  sailors  have  tried  to 
rescue  prisoners  on  their  way  to  execution.  The  commis- 
sioners of  the  republic  have  been  hooted  in  the  streets, 
and  if  they  had  had  arms  in  their  hands  our  men  would 
have  turned  the  tables ;  but  the  town  is  full  of  troops  now, 
and,  worse  than  all,  they  have  enrolled  this  corps  of  vol- 
unteers, who  are  the  terror  of  the  place.  They  have  spies 
everywhere,  and  no  one  dares  whisper  a  word  against  the 
commissioners  or  the  executions,  for,  if  but  two  or  three 
men  are  standing  by,  the  chances  are  that  one  of  them  is 
a  spy." 

"  But  surely  my  brother  might  have  prevented  my  father's 
arrest,  Brenon?  He  was  one  of  the  leading  men  at  that 
Jacobin  Club." 

"  He  is  still  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  party,"  Brenon 


176  NO   SURRENDER 

said  gloomily.  "He  is  established  in  your  father's  house 
now,  and  is  on  the  most  intimate  terms  with  the  commis- 
saries of  the  Convention." 

"  Is  Monsieur  Desailles  still  here  ?  He  was  a  young  advo- 
cate, and  a  member  of  the  Jacobin  Club." 

"  Yes,  he  is  a  member  still :  but  he  is  not  in  good  odour 
with  the  extreme  party.  He  is  at  the  head  of  what  they 
call  the  moderates.  They  say  that  sometimes  these  try  to 
defend  accused  persons,  and  that  is  considered  a  terrible 
offence  by  the  others.  I  should  never  be  surprised  to  hear 
that  he  himself  and  those  with  him  have  been  denounced 
as  enemies  of  the  state.  This  is  an  awful  time,  monsieur, 
and  Heaven  only  knows  what  we  shall  come  to.  Now,  is 
there  anything  that  I  can  do  for  you,  captain?  You  know 
well  that  you  have  but  to  say  the  word,  and  that,  whatever 
it  is,  I  would  do  it  even  if  I  were  cut  to  pieces  the  minute 
afterwards." 

"  Thank  you,  old  friend ;  it  was  because  I  knew  that  you 
were  trusty  and  true  that  I  came  here.  Now,  the  first  thing 
that  we  want  is  fishermen's  clothes.  We  only  disguised  our- 
selves in  those  things  in  order  to  pass  safely  through  the 
Blues  and  be  able  to  cross  the  ferry.  For  the  present  they 
have  done  their  work,  and  now  we  want  a  disguise  that  we 
can  go  about  in  unnoticed.  Of  course  we  don't  want  new 
things." 

"I  can  get  them  easily  enough,  monsieur;  my  customers 
are  all  hard  up.  I  know  pretty  well  which  are  true  men 
and  which  are  not." 

"In  the  next  place,  I  should  like  to  buy  or  hire  a  boat 
to  be  at  my  disposal  as  long  as  I  stay  here." 

*'  There  are  boats  and  to  spare,  captain.  Fishing  goes  on 
because  men  must  live,  though  it  can  hardly  be  called  living, 
for  the  prices  of  everything  are  fixed  by  law  now,  and  are 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   RESCUE  177 

fixed  SO  low  that  the  men  can  scarce  earn  enough  to  buy 
bread  for  themselves  and  their  families.  Still,  there  are  boats 
in  plenty.  Men  have  come  down  from  towns  and  villages 
higher  up,  for  they  say  that  the  troops  are  under  no  control, 
and  when  the  boats  come  in  after  a  night's  fishing  they 
come  down  and  help  themselves,  and  if  a  man  ventures  to 
grumble  he  gets  a  musket-ball  to  pay  him  for  his  fish.  The 
men  here  at  first  were  against  their  fishing  between  this 
place  and  the  sea,  but  the  authorities  stepped  in,  and  said 
that  the  more  food  the  better  for  the  people ;  and  as  the 
price  was  fixed  the  men  here  saw  that  it  made  no  difference 
to  them.  Still,  like  our  own  men,  they  are  doing  badly 
enough,  and  one  could  buy  a  boat  for  a  mere  song." 

^'  It  would  be  better  to  buy  one  from  those  men,  Brenon, 
because  the  fact  of  our  being  strangers  would  not  then  be 
noticed.  I  want  one  rowing  boat,  as  fast  a  craft  as  you 
can  pick  out.  I  also  want  to  hire  a  boat  with  a  cabin  that 
will  hold  us  both.  Of  course  it  will  be  a  sailing  boat,  say 
of  three  or  four  tons  burden.  I  intend  that  we  shall  live 
on  board.  It  might  be  noticed  if  two  strange  sailors  were 
often  coming  in  and  out  of  your  place,  whereas  if  we  were 
in  a  boat  moored  against  the  bank  no  one  would  notice 
us.  If  you  can  get  hold  of  such  a  boat,  with  a  couple  of 
men  who  seem  to  you  to  be  honest  fellows,  strangers  to  the 
place,  it  will  be  a  great  thing,  and  we  could  occasionally  go 
down  the  river  and  do  a  little  fishing." 

"All  that  can  be  managed  easily  enough,  captain.  I  know 
of  one  boat  just  such  a  size  owned  by  two  men,  Rouget  and 
Medart,  who  sailed  in  the  Henrietfe  for  years,  and  only  left 
her  when  you  did,  as  they  had  wives  and  families  here  and 
knew  that  she  would  not  put  in  again  for  a  long  time.  You 
could  trust  them  as  you  do  me." 

"That  would  be  the  very  thing      Make  arrangements  with 


178  NO   SURRENDER 

them  on  any  terms  they  like.  I  will  take  her  by  the  week. 
She  carries  a  boat,  I  suppose  ?  " 

''  Of  course,  monsieur,  they  could  not  do  without  one.'' 

"If  she  is  fast,  well  and  good;  if  not,  tell  them  to  buy 
the  fastest  they  can  find.  They  can  sell  their  own  boat  in 
part  payment,  or  they  can  get  her  up  on  the  quay  and  let 
her  lie  there  until  we  have  gone,  when  they  can  either  sell 
her  or  the  new  one.  However,  the  clothes  are  the  first 
thing;  we  cannot  venture  out  in  these,  in  the  first  place, 
because  we  might  be  questioned,  and  secondly,  because  we 
might  be  recognized ;  whereas  in  a  fisherman's  dress,  with 
a  wide  oil-skin  hat  and  our  faces  dirtied  somewhat,  I  don't 
think  that  anyone  could  know  us." 

They  remained  quiet  until  evening,  and  then  sallied  out 
in  the  disguises  Brenon  had  obtained  for  them.  Their  first 
visit  was  to  the  house  of  Jean's  friend,  Desailles.  It  was 
arranged  that  Leigh  should  not  go  in,  as  Desailles  would 
probably  speak  more  freely  to  Jean  if  alone.  Jean  had 
written  his  name  on  a  piece  of  paper,  folded  it  up,  and  care- 
fully sealed  it,  and  when  he  reached. the  house  he  handed 
this  to  the  woman  who  opened  the  door. 

"  This  is  for  Citizen  Desailles,"  he  said.  "  I  will  wait ;  he 
may  want  to  see  me." 

In  a  minute  the  servant  returned  and  requested  him  to 
come  in.  He  was  shown  into  a  room  where  Desailles  was 
sitting  with  some  papers  before  him.  He  did  not  speak 
until  the  servant  closed  the  door,  then  he  leapt  up  and  held 
out  both  hands  to  his  visitor. 

"  My  dear  Jean,"  he  said,  "  what  imprudence,  what  mad- 
ness for  you  to  venture  here  ! " 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  any  fear  of  my  being  discovered. 
Even  you  yourself  would  scarcely  know  me." 

"  I  know  you  now  you  have  taken  that  hat  off,  but  I  own 


PREPARATIONS    FOR   A   RESCUE  179 

that  I  did  not  recognize  you  before,  and  thought  for  the 
moment  that  you  were  but  a  messenger.  Please  do  not  talk 
loud.  For  aught  I  know,  my  servant  has  been  bribed  to  act 
as  a  spy  upon  me,  and  may  have  her  ear  at  the  keyhole.  To 
tell  you  the  truth,  Jean,  things  are  coming  to  a  crisis  at  the 
club.  The  violent  party  get  more  violent  every  day,  and  I 
am  heartily  sick  of  this  butchers'  work.  I  feel  that  at  any 
moment  I  may  be  denounced." 

"Then  why  on  earth  do  you  stay  here,  Jules?  Why  don't 
you  come  and  throw  in  your  lot  with  us  ?  " 

"  I  should  have  laughed  at  the  idea  a  year  ago,"  he  said, 
"  for  at  that  time,  although  I  objected  strongly  to  the  doings 
in  Paris,  I  yet  believed  that  much  good  would  come  of  the 
changes.  Now  I  know  that  nothing  has  come  of  them  but 
murder  and  misery,  and  the  madness  increases  rather  than 
diminishes.  Hopeless  as  I  own  your  struggle  seems  to  me, 
I  would  at  least  rather  be  killed  in  battle  than  executed 
here  ;  but  I  would  rather  still  get  to  England  if  I  could.  As 
you  know,  I  can  play  the  vioHn  well,  and  might  be  able  to 
support  myself  by  its  aid  if  nothing  else  turned  up." 

"  If  you  are  thinking  of  going,  Desailles,  I  will  give  you  a 
letter  to  my  father-in-law  at  Poole.  I  hear  that  my  mother 
and  sister  have  escaped,  and  they  have  doubtless  gone 
there;  so  you  will  not  find  yourself  friendless.  And  now 
for  the  purpose  that  has  brought  me  here.  I  had  no  idea 
until  I  arrived  that  these  wretches  had  imprisoned  my  father, 
who  is  the  last  man  to  interfere  in  politics,  and  has,  I  am 
sure,  never  uttered  a  word  of  enmity  against  the  Convention. 
I  came  to  endeavour  to  rescue  my  wife,  who,  as  no  doubt 
you  have  heard,  has  been  seized  and  carried  off  in  my 
absence,  and  my  house  laid  in  ashes.  I  suppose  she  has 
been  brought  here." 

*•'  Yes,  I  am  aware  of  it,"  Jules  said.   "  The  party  of  horse 


180  NO    SURRENDER 

who  did  it  were  specially  sent  from  here.  Of  course  you 
were  the  principal  object  of  the  expedition,  but  the  officer 
was  ordered  to  bring  her  too  —  in  the  first  place  as  your 
wife,  in  the  second  as  an  Englishwoman,  and  therefore,  of 
course,  an  enemy  of  France.  You  were  denounced  to  the 
club ;  and  as  you  were  known  to  be  one  of  the  gentlemen 
who  had  joined  the  insurrection  and  were  fighting  with 
Cathelineau  and  others,  I  knew  that  it  would  be  useless  to 
raise  a  voice  on  your  behalf,  having  the  satisfaction  of  feel- 
ing sure  that  you  would  be  away  from  home  when  they  got 
there,  and  hoping  that  your  wife  would  receive  notice  of 
their  coming  before  they  entered  the  house." 

"  Has  she  been  brought  here  yet?" 

"Yes,  she  arrived  three  days  ago.  She  is  in  the  old  city 
prison,  where  your  father  is  also  confined." 

"  So  far  that  is  fortunate,"  Jean  said.  "  Now,  how  about 
my  father  !  I  should  have  thought  that  Jacques'  influence 
would  have  been  sufficient  to  protect  him." 

The  young  advocate  smiled  bitterly.  ^'  Monsieur  Jacques 
Martin  poses  as  a  Brutus,  Jean.  When  your  father  was 
denounced  in  the  club  he  rose  and  said  that  he  should  take 
no  part  in  the  deliberations,  that  he  was  before  all  other 
things  a  patriot,  and  that  he  would  not  permit  private 
affection  to  interfere  with  his  duty  as  a  citizen.  In  fact,  my 
dear  Jean,  painful  as  it  must  be  for  you  to  hear,  my  opinion 
is,  that  your  brother  has  all  along  been  playing  a  deep  game, 
and  that  his  object  has  been  to  grasp  the  whole  of  your 
father's  business  and  property.  It  was  a  friend  of  his  who 
denounced  you  at  the  club  when  I  before  gave  you  warning ; 
it  was  members  of  his  clique  who  stirred  the  authorities  up 
to  send  a  small  body  of  cavalry  to  capture  you,  and  it  was 
they  also  who  denounced  your  father.  Your  brother  is  by 
far  the  most  powerful  of  the  committee  of  safety,  as  well  as 


PREPARATIONS    FOR   A    RESCUE  181 

in  the  club.  He  assumes  an  air  of  perfect  disinterestedness 
and  of  a  passionate  love  for  the  republic.  His  vote  is  always 
given  for  death.  I  think  he  takes  St.  Just  as  his  model,  and 
repeats  his  assertion,  that  it  is  only  by  the  destruction  of  the 
enemies  of  France  that  France  can  be  freed. 

"There  is  a  cold-bloodedness  about  him  that  sets  my 
nerves  tingling.  I  believe  myself  that  the  discovery  that 
your  father  had  largely  reduced  his  stocks,  and  had  sent  the 
proceeds  to  England,  decided  him  in  either  agreeing  to,  or 
bringing  about,  this  denunciation,  and  that  he  deferred  it 
only  until  he  found  that  your  mother  and  sister  had 
escaped ;  that  freed  his  hands  to  some  extent.  Had  they 
remained  here  he  would  have  been  in  a  difficult  position. 
Even  in  these  days,  when  we  are  sated  with  horrors,  he  could 
hardly  have  permitted  his  mother  and  sister  to  be  executed, 
when,  as  everyone  knew,  he  had  power  to  save  them.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  they  had  remained  they  would  have 
been  obstacles  to  the  success  of  his  plan.  As  it  is  now,  your 
father's  house  and  all  property  belonging  to  him  were  de- 
clared confiscated  ;  but  the  committee  of  safety  passed  a  vote 
that,  seeing  the  inestimable  service  rendered  to  the  state  by 
his  eldest  son,  they  would  be  bestowed  upon  him  as  a  token 
of  gratitude  for  his  well-doing." 

"  You  scarcely  surprise  me,"  Jean  said  gloomily.  "  I 
never  liked  my  brother  —  we  had  not  a  feeling  in  common, 
and  for  years  he  has  never  seemed  to  belong  to  the  family  ; 
and  certainly  since  the  troubles  began  he  has  not  set  foot  in 
my  father's  house.  Still,  I  hardly  believed  that  he  would  be 
such  a  scoundrel.  I  abhorred  his  opinions,  but  believed  that 
he  was  at  least  sincere.  I  did  not  see  what  he  could  gain 
by  a  revolution.  Now  I  understand  his  character  better, 
and  can  see  how  cleverly  he  has  played  his  cards.  I  cannot 
reckon  myself  with  the  scoundrel,  deeply  as  he  has  wronged 


182  NO   SURRENDER 

me  and  my  father,  but  I  should  welcome  the  news  that  retri- 
bution had  fallen  upon  him  by  some  other  hand.  And 
now,  Jules,  can  you  give  me  any  advice  whatever  as  to  how 
to  set  about  my  scheme  of  getting  them  both  out  of  prison  ?  " 

Jules  shook  his  head.  "  I  fear,  my  poor  friend,  that  that 
is  impossible.  The  prison  is,  as  you  know,  strong ;  there 
are,  I  should  say,  some  forty  warders,  all  ruffians  and 
scoundrels.  Any  attempt  to  bribe  even  one  of  them  would 
almost  to  a  certainty  be  denounced,  and  it  would  probably 
be  necessary  to  have  at  least  half  a  dozen  in  the  plot.  As  to 
force,  it  is  out  of  the  question.  The  building  is  very 
strong,  there  are  always  some  twenty  or  thirty  of  the 
volunteers  on  guard  outside,  and  an  alarm  would  bring  up 
five  hundred  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
troops.  What  force  could  you  bring  that  could  have  even 
a  remote  chance  of  success  ?  '* 

"  I  have  Leigh  with  me  ;  you  know  him  well,  Jules.  I 
rely  much  more  upon  him  than  I  do  on  myself.  He  is 
full  of  plans  and  contrivances,  and  has  rendered  extraor- 
dinary services  during  the  war.  He  has  with  him,  or 
rather  will  have  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  so,  a  band  of 
forty  lads,  of  whom  he  is  the  captain,  who  have  acted  as 
scouts  to  Cathelineau.  They  will  be  in  hiding  a  mile  or 
two  out  of  the  town." 

Jules  lifted  his  eyebrows.  "I  am  afraid  that  such  a 
force  as  that  would  be  of  very  little  use  to  you,  Jean  —  in 
fact,  of  no  use  whatever.  If  you  had  five  hundred  men, 
and  could  gather  them  for  a  sudden  attack  on  the  jail,  and 
had  a  couple  of  cannon  to  blow  in  the  gate,  I  should  say 
it  might  be  possible,  and  even  then  the  chance  of  its  being 
all  done  and  the  fugitives  got  safely  away  before  the 
arrival  of  some  three  thousand  troops  would  be  very 
doubtful." 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   RESCUE  183 

At  this  moment  the  servant  brought  in  a  note. 
"  Who  brought  this  ?  "  Monsieur  Desailles  asked. 
**  It  was  a  woman,  monsieur ;  she  did  not  wait  for  an 
answer." 

Tlie  advocate  opened  it.     It  was  written  in  pencil. 

Dear  Jules ^  Martin  is  on  his  feet  denouncing  you.  Hostile 
vote  certain.    Escape  at  once. 

After  reading  it  he  handed  it  to  Jean. 

"  That  settles  it,"  he  said.  "  I  am  with  you.  Where 
are  you  staying?" 

Martin  told  him,  and  said,  "  It  will  never  do  for  you 
to  stay  there.  But  I  have  arranged  for  a  boat  with  a 
cabin.  We  shall  go  on  board  at  once  ;  you  can  come  with 
us.     I  had  better  go  out  first." 

"  It  is  better  that  we  should  not  go  together,  for  if  the 
woman  reports  that  I  went  off  with  a  fisherman,  a  search 
might  be  made  in  all  the  boats.  I  will  join  you  on  the 
quay  opposite  the  inn  you  speak  of  I  shall  need  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  to  burn  some  papers.  I  have  already  a 
valise  packed,  with  a  couple  of  thousand  francs,  which  is 
all  the  money  I  could  obtain  without  creating  suspicion.  I 
have  seen  this  coming  for  some  time,  and  had  no  intention 
of  making  a  martyr  of  myself  when  my  doing  so  would 
.  be  of  no  advantage." 

*'  Don't  delay  too  long,  Jules.  I  shall  be  in  a  fever  until 
you  join  me." 

"  I  know  their  way,  Jean.  There  will  be  a  half  a  dozen 
speeches,  each  vieing  with  the  other  in  abusing  me.  My 
friends  will  see  the  uselessness  of  trying  to  defend  me 
when  the  terrorists  are  three  to  one  against  them.  If  my 
friend  slipped  out,  as  is  probable,  directly  your  brother 
rose,  I  can  calculate   on  a  good  hour.     Actually  the  club 


184  NO   SURRENDER 

have  no  power  whatever  to  order  arrests,  but  they  are  so 
closely  allied  now  with  the  committee  of  safety  that  they 
do  not  stand  upon  legalities,  except  in  cases  likely  to 
attract  a  great  deal  of  public  attention." 

Jules  went  to  the  door  and  let  his  visitor  out.  Jean 
joined   Leigh. 

"  Desailles  is  going  to  join  us.  He  has  just  been  de- 
nounced, and  will  be  with  us  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  on 
the  wharf  It  is  very  lucky  that  Brenon  completed  the 
arrangements  to-day  for  the  boat,  and  that  Rouget  and 
Medart  will  be  expecting  us  this  evening.  I  told  them 
that  I  might  not  come  until  to-morrow  morning,  but  this 
settles  it.  There  will  be  a  sharp  search  for  Desailles  as 
soon  as  it  is  found  that  he  is  gone,  and  it  is  just  as  well 
that  we  should  be  off  too.  I  am  very  glad  that  I  had  the 
boat  taken  from  her  usual  berth  to  a  spot  half  a  mile  higher 
up,  because  there  are  sure  to  be  inquiries  whether  any  fishing 
boats  put  out  during  the  night." 

They  walked  fast  back  to  the  inn.  Brenon,  on  being 
told  what  had  happened,  agreed  that  it  would  certainly  be 
safest  for  them  to  go  on  board.  "  I  have  two  friends  Hving 
here,"  he  said,  "  both  of  whom  are  carriers,  and  keep  eight 
or  ten  horses.  To-morrow  morning  early  I  will  take  one 
of  your  horses  to  one  and  the  second  to  the  other.  No  one 
will  notice  them  there,  whereas  if  a  search  is  made  —  and 
I  have  no  doubt  a  search  will  be  made  of  the  houses  near 
the  river, —  they  will  light  upon  them  in  my  shed,  and  they 
would  not  believe  my  story  that  I  had  two  citizens  from 
Vallet  living  here  —  in  the  first  place  because  it  is  an 
unlikely  place  to  put  them  up,  and  in  the  second  because  no 
such  citizens  would  be  forthcoming.  It  is  lucky  that  you 
told  the  men  to  get  a  cask  of  wine  and  a  store  of  provisions 
on  board   before   starting.      Well,  you  know,  captain,  that 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   RESCUE  185 

whenever  you  choose  to  land  again,  my  house  is  at  your 
disposal,  and  I  will  carry  out  what  we  arranged,  that  I 
should  get  together  a  score  of  men  I  can  trust,  and  to  each 
of  whom  I  can  promise  a  hundred  francs  for  a  night's  work 
in  a  good  cause." 

They  packed  up  their  former  disguises,  which  might 
come  in  useful  again ;  their  pistols  they  had  already  about 
them.  They  then  went  out  on  to  the  wharf  again,  and  a 
few  minutes  later  were  joined  by  Jules  Desailles. 

"  I  have  been  nervous  ever  since  I  left  you,"  Jean  Martin 
said,  as  his  friend  shook  hands  with  Leigh.  "  I  was  afraid 
that  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  delay  might  be  fatal." 

"  I  lost  no  time.  But  I  feel  sure  that  it  will  be  an  hour 
before  anyone  is  down  after  me ;  they  are  all  too  fond  of 
listening  to  their  own  voices  to  close  any  discussion  in 
less  than  an  hour  after  the  proposer  has  sat  down.  I  hope 
the  boat  is  not  far  off,  for  this  portmanteau  of  mine  is  heavy, 
I  can  assure  you." 

Martin  took  it  up  and  swung  it  on  to  his  shoulder. 

"  No,  my  dear  Jean,  I  won't  have  it." 

"  Nonsense,  Jules,  the  weight  is  nothing  to  me,  though 
no  doubt  to  a  man  who  never  takes  any  exercise  it  would 
feel  heavy." 

"  To  say  the  truth,  it  is  heavier  than  I  expected.  I  went 
on  packing  up  everything  that  I  did  not  like  to  leave  behind, 
until  the  thing  was  crammed  full,  and  after  I  had  locked  it 
and  went  to  lift  it  I  was  thunderstruck  with  the  weight" 

"Did  your  servant  see  you  go  out?" 

'^  No ;  I  rang  for  her,  and  told  her  that  I  was  going  out, 
and  did  not  suppose  that  I  should  be  back  till  late,  and  that 
she  could  go  to  bed  when  she  hked  —  which  I  knew  would 
be  a  few  minutes  after  she  got  permission.  She  is  a  sort 
of  human  .dormouse,  and    nineteen  times  out  of  twenty  I 


186  NO   SURRENDER 

have  had  to  wait  for  my  breakfast.  I  was  in  a  fright  as  I 
walked  down  here,  lest  some  one  who  knew  me  might  run 
against  me,  but  happily  I  saw  no  one." 

"  They  would  not  recognize  you  if  they  had  seen  you," 
Jean  laughed.  "  The  idea  of  Monsieur  Desailles,  advocate, 
a  gentleman  somewhat  particular  as  to  his  attire,  dragging  a 
portmanteau  weighing  a  hundred  pounds  through  the  streets, 
would  seem  an  impossibility." 

*'  I  have  left  that  phase  of  my  existence  behind  me," 
Jules  laughed ;  "  henceforth  I  am  a  man  of  war,  a  rebel,  a 
brigand,  as  they  call  you,  prepared  for  any  desperate  adven- 
ture, ready  to  rush  up  to  a  cannon's  mouth." 

"  That  is  right,  Desailles,  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  take 
things  so  cheerfully." 

"  My  dear  Jean,  I  feel  as  if  I  walk  on  air  since  you  have 
taken  my  portmanteau.  I  have  been  living  in  a  state  of 
suspense  for  months,  hating  these  wretches  and  their  ways, 
and  knowing  that  I  was  gradually  falling  into  bad  odour 
with  them,  and  that  the  blow  would  certainly  fall  ere  long. 
Over  and  over  again  I  have  thought  of  making  my  escape 
from  it  all ;  but,  you  see,  I  am  not  a  man  of  action  as  you 
are.  I  did  not  see  how  the  matter  was  to  be  effected  —  where 
to  go  or  what  to  do.  I  was  like  a  boy  shivering  at  the  edge 
of  the  bank  and  afraid  to  plunge  in ;  then  another  comes 
behind  him  and  pushes  him  into  the  water,  and  he  strikes 
out,  and  finds  that  it  is  not  as  cold  as  he  expected,  and  forth- 
with enjoys  it.  I  have  cut  loose  from  the  past.  I  have 
become  a  rover  and  a  waif,  and  I  feel  as  light-hearted  as  a 
boy.     Now,  let  me  get  hold  of  one  end  of  that  trunk  again." 

'^  I  have  got  it  all  right,  and,  as  you  see,  I  have  not  yet 
changed  shoulders.  And  if  I  want  help,  it  is  to  Leigh  I 
should  turn  and  not  to  you.  After  three  months'  campaign- 
ing it  may  be  that  you   will   be   able   to   hold   up  an  end 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   A    RESCUE  187 

as  well  as  he  can,  but  you  certainly  cannot  do  so  now. 
In  another  hundred  yards  we  shall  be  at  the  boat,  and  they 
must  be  on  the  look-out  for  us." 

In  a  short  time  they  saw  a  fishing  craft  with  a  boat  astern 
of  her.     A  man  was  standing  on  the  deck. 

"  It  is  a  dark  night,  my  friends,"  he  said. 

"  It  will  be  lighter  in  the  morning,"  Jean  replied. 

The  man  leapt  ashore. 

**  Ah,  captain,  I  am  glad  indeed  to  see  you.  Brenon  did 
not  tell  us  until  after  he  had  made  a  bargain  with  us  who 
wanted  our  boat,  or  we  should  not  have  talked  about  pay- 
ment. Not  likely,  after  having  sailed  with  you  since  you 
were  a  boy  of  fourteen." 

"  No,  indeed,"  said  another  man,  who  had  just  raised  his 
head  out  of  the  cabin  hatch ;  "  and  we  are  not  going  to  take 
it,  either." 

"  We  will  talk  about  that  afterwards,"  Jean  said  as  he 
stepped  on  board. 

"  I  doubted  whether  it  was  you,  captain,  for  Brenon  had 
only  spoken  to  us  of  two,  and  when  I  saw  three  of  you  I 
thought  that  you  must  belong  to  one  of  the  boats  higher 
up.     There  are  two  or  three  of  them  a  bit  farther  on." 

"I  did  not  know  myself  until  half  an  hour  ago.  This 
is  my  friend  Monsieur  Desailles,  who  is  in  the  same  danger 
from  these  butchers  of  the  Convention  as  I  am.  First  pass 
this  box  down,  and  then  we  will  follow  it."  They  gathered 
in  the  little  cabin.     It  was  but  some  seven  feet  long. 

"  It  will  be  close  work,  captain,"  Rouget  said. 

*  It  will  do  very  well,"  Jean  said  cheerfully.  ''There  is 
room  for  two  of  us  to  sleep  on  the  lockers,  and  one  on  the 
floor.     You  have  got  the  small  boat  behind  you,  I  see." 

"She  is  there,"  the  man  said,  "and  a  good  boat  she  is. 
We  bought  her  from  two   fishermen  who  had  come  down 


188  NO    SURRENDER 

from  St.  Florent.  She  is  very  well  for  up  there,  but  she  is 
scarce  fit  for  fishing  far  below  Nantes." 

"  I  am  glad  that  she  did  not  belong  to  this  place,"  Martin 
said.  "  The  fishermen  might  have  been  surprised  to  see  two 
strange  men  in  a  boat  they  knew ;  but  so  many  have  come 
down  here  from  the  towns  above  that  we  shall  excite  no  atten- 
tion. Now,  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  get  up  sail  and  drop 
down  two  miles  past  the  town,  then  you  can  go  about  your 
fishing  as  usual.  Only  one  of  us  will  show  upon  deck 
at  a  time.  Now  as  to  the  matter  on  which  we  are  here. 
Brenon  told  you  that  it  was  a  dangerous  business  for  which 
you  would  be  required?" 

"  He  told  us  that  it  was  to  hide  two  gentlemen  whom  the 
committee  of  public  safety  would  be  glad  to  get  hold  of,  and 
I  knew  of  course  that  to  do  such  a  thing  was  dangerous ; 
but  we  did  not  like  it  any  the  worse  for  that.  All  honest 
men  are  horrified  at  the  way  these  commissioners  from 
Paris  are  carrying  things  on,  and  would  be  glad  enough  to 
aid  in  getting  anyone  out  of  their  hands." 

"But  the  danger  is  greater  in  our  case  than  ordinary," 
Jean  went  on.  "  You  heard  that  my  father  had  been  im- 
prisoned ?  " 

**  We  heard  it,  captain,  and  savage  it  made  us,  as  you  may 
guess.  Everyone  spoke  well  of  him  ;  and  being  your  father, 
of  course  we  felt  it  all  the  more." 

"  But  that  is  not  all,  lads.  A  party  of  their  cavalry  went 
to  my  chateau  in  my  absence,  burnt  it  down,  and  brought 
my  wife  here  a  prisoner.  Now,  it  is  absolutely  certain  that 
they  will  both  of  them  be  condemned,  for  they  have  a  per- 
sonal enemy  on  the  committee  of  public  safety,  and  they 
will  be  murdered  unless  we  can  get  them  out ;  and  I  and 
my  brother  Leigh,  whom  you  all  know,  have  come  for  that 
purpose." 


PREPARATIONS   FOR   A   RESCUE  189 

"  Well,  captain,  you  can  count  upon  both  of  us,  heart  and 
soul.  But  I  don't  see  how  it  is  going  to  be  done.  The 
prison  is  a  strong  place,  and  well  guarded.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  we  could  count  on  getting  twenty  stout  men  along  the 
wharf,  but  that  would  not  be  much  use.  They  have  more 
than  that  on  guard,  and  before  we  could  get  into  the 
prison  they  would  come  swarming  down,  any  number  of 
them." 

"  We  have  forty  young  fellows  from  my  neighbourhood, 
who  will  by  to-morrow  be  hidden  away  in  the  wood  a  mile 
and  a  half  higher  up  the  river." 

"  That  will  be  a  help,  sir ;  but  even  with  two  hundred  we 
should  not  be  able  to  do  much." 

"  We  shall  have  plenty  of  time  to  talk  it  over  afterwards. 
Get  the  sail  up  and  drop  down  the  river.  Keep  close  to  the 
opposite  bank.  It  is  important  that  we  should  not  be 
noticed  as  we  pass  the  town." 

"  Well,  sir,  there  is  hardly  air  enough  to  fill  the  sails.  I 
should  say  that  we  had  best  tow  her  across  to  the  other  side 
in  the  small  boat,  and  then  drift  till  we  are  fairly  beyond 
the  town.     We  are  safe  not  to  be  seen  then." 

"  Perhaps  that  will  be  the  best  plan,  Rouget." 

The  men  went  out,  and  in  two  or  three  minutes  the  sound 
of  the  oars  could  be  heard. 

"  I  can't  say  that  the  look-out  is  very  hopeful,  Leigh." 

"  I  did  not  think  that  anyone  would  think  it  so,  Jean ; 
but  it  seems  to  me  that  it  is  just  because  everyone  seems  so 
confident  that  the  prison  is  safe  from  attack,  that  we  shall 
have  a  chance.  The  thing  that  is  troubling  me  most 
is  where  we  can  get  a  barrel  of  gunpowder.  We  must 
have  powder  to  blow  open  the  gate.  I  expect  that  any  of 
the  doors  we  may  find  locked  inside  will  give  way  if  a 
pistol  is  fired  through  the  keyhole,  but  to  blow  in  the  main 


190  NO    SURRENDER 

gate  of  the  prison  we  must  get  powder,  and  a  good  deal  of 
it.  That,  however,  is  a  matter  in  which  we  shall  find  that 
money  will  be  of  use.  There  are  too  many  officials  in  the 
prison  for  us  to  hope  to  get  any  one  out  without  eight  or 
ten  being  in  the  plot,  and  as  these,  we  hear,  are  all  fellows 
who  are  heart  and  soul  with  the  Convention,  it  is  not 
possible  to  attempt  it  in  that  way.  But  when,  as  you  know, 
the  Blues  succeeded  in  bribing  a  Vend^an  to  tamper  with 
our  guns,  it  ought  not  to  be  such  a  difficult  thing  to  bribe 
one  of  these  fellows  who  is  in  charge  of  ammunition  to  let 
us  have  a  barrel  or  two  of  powder." 

"  That  certainly  seems  to  hold  out  a  prospect  of  success 
so  far,  Leigh.  I  have  never  been  able  to  understand  your 
confidence  in  success,  but  certainly  the  first  indication  of 
your  plan  seems  to  promise  well.  Now  let  us  hear  some 
more  of  it.'' 

"  Well,  this  is  my  idea,  Jean.  I  will  choose  a  windy  night, 
and  send  Andrd  and  Pierre  with  twenty  of  the  boys  into 
the  worst  part  of  the  town.  Each  shall  carry  a  ball  of 
yarn  dipped  in  turpentine,  mixed  with  sulphur  and  other 
inflammable  things.  They  shall  also  carry  another  ball, 
having  but  a  thin  coating  of  the  yarn,  and  powder  inside  so 
as  to  explode.  When  the  clock  strikes  two,  we  will  say, 
each  of  them  will  smash  the  window  of  some  store,  light 
both  balls  and  put  them  in.  I  want  the  explosion  of  one 
ball  to  scare  anyone  who  may  be  sleeping  there  half  out  of 
their  senses  and  make  them  rush  out  of  the  house,  which 
will  leave  plenty  of  time  for  the  other  ball  to  set  on  fire  any- 
thing that  it  may  light  upon.  Twenty  fires  starting  at  once 
at  different  spots  will  create  a  fearful  scare.  Many  of  the 
guards  outside  the  prison  —  all  of  whom  are  drawn  from  the 
slums  —  will  have  come  from  that  quarter,  and  as  they  have 
no  idea  of  discipline,  will,  when  they  see  the  flames  mount- 


PREPARATIONS    FOR   A   RESCUE  191 

ing  up,  leave  their  posts  and  rush  off  to  see  to  the  safety  of 
their  homes. 

"  Choosing  a  windy  night,  you  may  be  sure  that  the  fires 
would  burn  fast,  and  that  the  rest  of  the  volunteers  and  the 
National  Guard  would  soon  be  so  busy  that  they  would  not 
trouble  themselves  about  the  prison  one  way  or  the  other. 
Thus  I  calculate  that  of  the  fifty  men  on  guard  round  the 
prison,  there  would  not  be  twenty  left  at  the  outside,  and 
they  would  be  so  busy  staring  at  and  talking  of  the  fire, 
that  with  a  sudden  surprise  they  could  all  be  disposed  of 
without  difficulty.  Then  the  gates  of  the  prison  would  be 
blown  in,  and  we  should  rush  in,  shoot  down  all  the  warders 
we  meet,  keeping  one  only  as  a  guide,  make  straight  for 
the  rooms  where  your  father  and  Patsey  are  confined, 
release  them  and  as  many  others  as  the  time  will  allow, 
telling  them  to  rush  down  to  the  wharf  and  seize  boats,  or 
to  escape  in  whichever  way  they  like ;  while  you,  with  your 
father  and  Patsey,  would  make  straight  down  to  our  boat, 
while  I  with  the  boys  would  follow  you  and  cover  your  re- 
treat if  any  of  the  Blues  came  up  to  pursue  you." 

"  Leigh,  you  are  a  genius !  "  Martin  exclaimed,  bringing 
his  hand  down  on  the  lad's  shoulder  with  a  force  that 
almost  knocked  him  from  his  seat. 

"What  do  you  think  of  that,  Desailles,  for  a  plan?  I 
told  you  that  I  relied  upon  Leigh's  head  more  than  my 
own,  and  you  see  I  had  good  reason  for  doing  so.  I  doubt 
whether  it  could  be  done  with  his  forty  boys,  but  if  we  can 
get  the  powder,  it  seems  to  me  that,  with  half  as  many 
sailors  to  help  us,  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  suc- 
ceed." 

"But  you  might  bum  half  the  town  down,"  Desailles 
said  gravely. 

"  If  I  was  sure  that  it  would  burn  the  whole  of  it  down 


192  NO    SURRENDER 

I  should  not  mind,"  Leigh  exclaimed.  "  But  there  is  not 
much  fear  of  that.  If  it  cleared  out  the  whole  of  the  slums 
where  the  supporters  of  the  gang  of  murderers  they  call 
the  committee  of  public  safety  live,  I  should  rejoice  most 
heartily.  As  there  are  several  wide  streets  between  them 
and  the  business  quarters,  and  as  they  will  have  all  the 
soldiers  of  the  town  to  assist  iii  fighting  the  flames,  I  do 
not  think  that  there  will  be  any  fear  of  the  fire  spreading 
very  far." 

"  Well,  at  any  rate,  Leigh,  you  have  hit  on  a  plan  that 
offers  a  good  chance  of  success.  We  shall  find  out  in  a  day 
or  two  how  many  of  the  boatmen  we  can  get  to  aid  us,  and 
how  far  they  will  be  disposed  to  go.  We  must  learn  in 
some  way  how  long  it  is  likely  to  be  before  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  act.  If  we  find  that  there  is  time,  we  can  send 
some  of  the  boys  off  to  the  army  to  bring  their  fathers  and 
brothers  back  with  them.  The  sixty  might  not  be  enough, 
but  with  a  hundred  of  our  men  I  think  we  should  be  pretty 
sure  of  success." 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE   ATTACK   ON   NANTES 

WHEN  three  or  four  miles  down  the  river  the  boat  was 
anchored,  and  the  two  men  were  called  into  the  cabin 
and  Leigh's  scheme  explained  to  them. 

"  It  is  a  big  affair,  sir,"  Medart  said  thoughtfully  when 
Jean  had  concluded.  "  Now,  there  is  no  love  lost  between 
us  and  the  ruffians  who  carry  out  the  committee's  orders. 
They  call  us  river  rats,  we  call  them  sewer  rats,  and  there 
has  been  many  fights  between  the  fishermen  and  these 
fellows  as  far  back  as  I  can  remember,  and  lately  these  have 


THE   ATTACK   ON   NANTES  193 

been  much  more  frequent.  If  the  plan  was  only  to  burn  down 
their  quarters  there  are  a  good  many  who  would  lend  a 
hand,  because  it  could  be  done  quietly,  and  they  would  have 
no  particular  reason  for  suspecting  that  it  was  the  work  of 
the  fishermen.  But  as  for  going  into  the  jail,  that  would 
be  different.  We  should  not  have  time,  by  what  you  say, 
to  hunt  up  and  kill  all  the  warders,  and  it  would  therefore 
be  known  at  once  that  we  were  concerned.  Five  or  six  of 
our  fellows  have  already  had  their  heads  chopped  off  on 
suspicion  of  having  aided  Royalists  to  escape.  They  don't 
mind  whom  they  lay  hands  on,  and  they  don't  trouble  them- 
selves to  search,  but  just  seize  the  first  they  come  to  who, 
perhaps  in  a  cabaret,  has  said  a  word  against  their  doings. 

"  As  to  the  trials,  they  are  no  trials  at  all.  One  of  their 
fellows  comes  in  and  says,  '  I  heard  this  man  abusing  the 
authorities,  and  I  accuse  him  also  of  being  concerned  in  the 
escape  of  so  and  so.'  It  is  no  odds  what  the  prisoner  says. 
The  fellow  who  acts  as  judge  looks  at  the  jury,  who  are  all 
their  creatures  ;  they  say  '  Guilty  ! '  and  he  says '  Death  ! '  and 
the  accused  are  marched  off  again  to  the  prison  to  wait  until 
their  turn  comes  for  the  guillotine.  Well,  you  see  if  this 
prison  was  broken  into  as  you  propose,  and  it  was  known 
that  the  sailors  had  a  hand  in  it,  the  chances  are  that  they 
would  march  a  couple  of  hundred  of  us  into  the  great  square, 
which  would  be  choke-full  of  the  National  Guard  and  volun- 
teers, and  just  shoot  us  down." 

Jean  was  silent.  The  probability  that  things  would  go  as 
the  man  said  was  so  evident  that  he  had  no  answer. 

"  I  think  the  way  to  get  over  that  difficulty,"  Leigh  said, 
when  he  saw  that  Jean  was  puzzled,  ^'  would  be  for  you 
all  quietly  to  buy  other  clothes,  or  better  still,  for  them  to 
be  bought  for  you  by  your  wives.  They  should  be  such 
clothes  as  the  peasants  buy  when  they  come  into  the  town. 


194  NO   SURRENDER 

It  would  then  be  supposed  that  the  attack  was  made  by  a 
party  of  Breton  peasantry.  As  a  good  many  other  prisoners 
would  escape,  in  addition  to  Monsieur  Martin  and  your 
captain's  wife,  there  would  be  no  reason  to  suppose  that  the 
plot  was  specially  arranged  to  aid  their  escape,  or  that 
any  of  the  people  of  this  town  were  concerned  in  the 
matter." 

"  That  is  so,  Master  Leigh,"  Rouget  said.  *'  It  might  be 
managed  in  that  way.  But  I  think  that  most  of  our  chaps 
had  better  be  told  off  for  firing  the  town.  I  think  that  a 
good  many  might  be  willing  to  undertake  that  job,  for  I 
have  heard  it  said  many  and  many  a  time  that  they  would 
like  to  burn  the  sewer  rats  out.  There  are  other  men 
who  would,  I  am  sure,  rather  join  in  the  attack  on  the  jail 
if  they  could  do  so  without  putting  the  lives  of  all  of  us  in 
danger.  As  to  getting  hold  of  an  artilleryman,  I  don't 
know  that  that  would  be  difficult.  The  men  employed  on 
that  sort  of  work  are  all  old  soldiers,  and  many  of  these, 
though  they  dare  not  say  so,  hate  what  is  going  on  just  as 
much  as  we  do.  I  have  met  one  of  them  with  Emile 
Moufflet,  who  served  with  you,  captain,  for  two  or  three 
years.  When  we  have  been  chatting  together  he  has  said 
things  about  the  committee  that  would  have  cost  him  nis 
head  if  he  had  been  overheard. 

"  I  know  that  his  chum  is  in  charge  of  some  stores,  but 
whether  they  are  powder  or  not  I  cannot  say.  But  at  any 
rate,  Emile  will  be  able  to  find  out  for  me  the  name  of  several 
of  them  who  have  charge  of  powder,  and  he  would  be  likely 
to  know  which  of  them  had  sentiments  like  his  own,  and  how 
far  they  could  be  trusted.  That  would  not  take  long,  but  to 
get  hold  of  forty  hands  for  the  other  work  would  take  some 
time.  One  dare  go  only  to  men  one  is  very  intimate  with, 
and  get  them  to  approach  men  whom  they  know  well ;  for 


THE   AITACK   ON   NANTES  195 

<fven  among  us  there  are  fellows  who  take  the  committee's 
money  to  spy  over  the  others,  and  to  find  out  whether  any 
trouble  is  likely  to  come  or  Royalists  to  be  shipped  off.  One 
generally  knows  who  they  are,  because  they  overdo  their 
parts,  and  rail  at  the  Convention  more  roundly  and  openly 
than  an  honest  man  would  dare  to  do.  Some  of  them  one 
finds  out  that  way ;  others,  again,  one  spots  by  their  always 
having  money  to  spend.  If  they  are  too  shrewd  to  betray 
themselves  in  that  way,  our  wives  find  them  out  for  us  by 
telling  us  that  their  women  and  children  have  new  clothes, 
and  we  know  well  enough  that  there  is  no  buying  new 
clothes  out  of  fish  at  their  present  price ;  besides,  most  of 
these  fellows  give  up  fishing  altogether,  and  lounge  about 
the  wharves  talking  and  smoking,  and  one  knows  that  a 
man  and  his  family  cannot  live  on  air.  Still,  there  may  be 
others  who  are  too  sly  to  let  out  their  secret  in  either  way, 
and  therefore  one  must  be  very  careful  whom  one  speaks 
to.  One  would  not  think  of  telling  anyone  about  what  is 
intended  until,  just  as  it  comes  off,  one  could  simply  say 
that  one  has  heard  that  there  is  something  in  the  air,  and 
that  report  says  that  every  man  who  will  lend  a  hand  will 
earn  —  how  much,  captain  ?  " 

"Two  hundred  francs." 

"When  one  sees  how  a  man  takes  that,  one  can  go  a 
step  or  two  further.  Well,  I  should  not  think  of  letting 
out  to  a  soul  what  the  nature  of  the  work  would  be,  simply 
saying  that  every  precaution  will  be  taken  to  prevent  its 
being  known  that  any  fishermen  are  engaged  in  it.  All 
that  will  take  time.  I  should  say  that  it  might  be  nigh  a 
couple  of  weeks  before  one  could  get  the  whole  thing  ar- 
ranged." 

"  What  do  you  think,  Desailles  ?  "  Jean  said.  "  Shall  we 
have  a  fortnight?" 


196  NO   SURRENDER 

Desailles  shook  his  head. 

"  I  could  not  say ;  you  might  have  more  than  that,  if  the 
prisoners  were  taken  in  the  regular  order  in  which  they 
were  condemned.  The  jails  are  crowded,  and  as  fresh  cap- 
tures are  effected  room  must  be  made  for  them.  Of  course 
the  committee  have  a  list,  and  they  make  a  mark  against 
the  names  of  those  who  are  to  be  executed  each  day.  It 
might  be  three  weeks  before  your  friends*  turn  comes,  it 
might  be  only  a  few  days." 

*'  I  tell  you  what,  Rouget ;  you  and  your  comrade  had 
better  land  to-morrow  morning  and  set  to  work.  You 
might  say  that  three  fishermen  from  St.  Florent,  finding 
their  boat  too  small,  hired  yours  for  a  week  to  try  their 
luck.  If  they  succeed  they  will  give  you  a  fair  price  for 
her,  if  not  they  will  simply  pay  the  hire.  You  can  say 
that  the  price  is  not  much,  but  as  it  is  as  much  as  you 
can  make  at  fishing,  you  thought  that  you  might  as 
well  have  an  idle  week  on  shore.  Leigh  and  I  can  work 
her.  As  soon  as  day  breaks  you  shall  shoot  your  nets,  so 
that  we  can  see  exactly  how  you  work,  and  be  able  to  catch 
an  average  amount  of  fish  each  day.  I  am  sure  that  no  one 
will  know  us  in  these  disguises,  and  at  any  rate  we  sha'n't 
be  clumsy  either  with  the  sails  or  oars.  You  can  say  that, 
as  we  are  strangers,  you  have  agreed  to  sell  our  fish  for 
us,  which  will  be  an  excuse  for  your  coming  down  to  us 
with  the  news  of  how  you  are  getting  on  each  time  that 
we  come  in." 

"That  will  do  very  well,  captain;  but  in  that  case,  as  a 
good  deal  of  the  fishing  must  be  done  at  night,  we  had 
better  get  out  the  nets  at  once  and  show  you  how  they  are 
managed." 

For  the  next  three  days  the  work  was  carried  on. 
Desailles  had  undertaken  to  obtain  from  a  friend  of  his  on 


THE   ATTACK   ON   NANTES  197 

the  committee  of  public  safety  news  of  what  was  going  on, 
and  an  early  copy  of  the  names  of  the  prisoners  told  off  for 
execution  on  the  following  day.  On  the  third  day  after 
their  arrival  Martin  and  Leigh  rowed  up  to  the  wood  where 
they  had  directed  the  band  to  assemble,  and  found  that, 
with  two  or  three  exceptions,  all  had  arrived.  Four  or  five 
of  them  were  at  once  told  to  return  to  the  estate  and  to 
the  army  with  a  message  from  Jean,  begging  all  his 
tenants  to  leave  and  join  the  party  in  hiding.  Many  of 
them  would  no  doubt  have  returned  to  their  homes  within 
a  day  or  two  of  the  capture  of  Saumur.  Letters  had  al- 
ready been  written  to  Bonchamp  and  Rochejaquelein  to 
say  that  they  were  intending  to  attack  the  jail,  and  deliver 
a  number  of  captives  besides  Jean's  father  and  wife,  and  to 
beg  that  they  would  pick  out  some  fifty  or  a  hundred  deter- 
mined men  and  send  them  on.  On  the  morning  of  the 
sixth  day,  when  the  two  sailors  joined  them  they  were  in 
a  state  of  high  excitement. 

"  There  is  great  news,  captain,"  Rouget  said ;  "  the  whole 
city  is  in  a  state  of  tumult.  It  is  reported  that  Catheli- 
neau  with  his  army  is  marching  upon  Nantes,  and  it  is  also 
reported  —  but  this  is  not  so  certain  —  that  Charette  is 
marching  to  join  them  with  all  his  force." 

"  That  is  grand  news  if  true  !  "  Jean  exclaimed ;  "  that 
would  indeed  favour  our  scheme  !  I  doubt  whether  they 
will  capture  Nantes,  for  there  is  a  big  force  here,  and 
enough  of  them  are  seasoned  troops  to  encourage  the  volun- 
teers and  National  Guard  to  make  a  good  fight  of  it.  How- 
ever, we  can  at  any  rate  take  advantage  of  the  attack  to 
carry  out  our  own  plans.  When  the  fighting  is  at  the 
hottest  you  may  be  sure  that  every  armed  man  will  be 
wanted  at  the  work,  and  that  there  will  not  be  many 
guards  left  behind  at  the  prison.     Our  band  here  can  dis- 


198  NO   SURRENDER 

pose  of  them,  and  half  a  dozen  men  each  with  fire-balls  can 
add  to  the  confusion  by  setting  fire  to  warehouses  and  fac- 
tories.    The  great  thing  now  will  be  the  powder." 

"  That  we  have  managed  already,  captain,"  Medart  re- 
plied. "  As  I  told  you,  I  spoke  to  Emile  Moufflet  the  first 
morning  I  went  ashore,  and  he  said  that  it  was  at  the 
magazines  that  his  chum  was  employed.  Yesterday  even- 
ing he  came  to  us  and  said  that  if  I  gave  him  the  two 
thousand  francs  that  you  had  given  me  for  the  purpose,  he 
would  hand  us  over  two  barrels  of  powder  at  eleven  o'clock 
last  night.  We  got  them,  and  carried  them,  as  you  told 
us,  to  Brenon's,  and  helped  him  to  bury  them  in  his 
shed.  We  also  got,  as  you  ordered,  a  couple  of  yards  of 
fuse." 

"  Bravo,  Medart !  everything  seems  going  well  for  us." 

The  news  of  Cathelineau's  advance  was  confirmed  on  the 
following  day  by  the  return  of  the  lads  who  had  been  sent 
to  fetch  assistance.  They  brought  with  them  eight  or  ten 
men  from  the  estate,  and  reported  that  la  Rochejaquelein 
had  remained  at  Saumur  with  a  portion  of  his  army  to 
defend  that  town  against  a  large  force  that  Biron  was 
assembling  at  Tours,  while  Cathelineau,  having  with  him 
Bonchamp  and  Stofflet,  was  marching  with  the  main  force 
along  the  north  bank  of  the  river.  They  said,  however,  that 
his  force  was  greatly  diminished,  for  that  large  numbers  of 
his  men,  objecting  to  fight  outside  their  own  country,  had 
scattered  to  their  villages.  They,  however,  confirmed  the 
news  that  Charette  was  reported  to  be  marching  north  to 
join  Cathelineau. 

"That  is  the  worst  part  of  the  whole  business,"  Jean 
said  bitterly.  "  Our  generals  have  no  control  over  their 
men ;  they  will  fight  when  they  want  to  fight,  and  return 
home  when  they  choose.     If  Cathelineau  had  come  along 


THE   ATTACK   ON   NANTES  199 

with  a  big  force  he  would  have  been  joined  by  numbers  of 
Bretons  on  the  way,  and  if  he  had  captured  Nantes,  by  the 
greater  part  of  Southern  Brittany.  Now  that  so  many  of 
his  men  have  left  him,  it  is  quite  possible  that  his  attack 
may  fail,  and  in  that  case  the  result  will  be  disastrous. 
His  army  would  disperse,  the  Blues  would  turn  their 
whole  force  against  la  Rochejaquelein,  and  the  cause  that 
a  fortnight  since  seemed  half  won  would  be  lost.  It  shows, 
at  any  rate,  that  the  idea  of  marching  on  Paris  could  not 
be  carried  out,  for  if  men  refuse  to  march,  when  they  would 
be  separated  from  their  own  country  only  by  the  river,  to 
take  Nantes,  by  which  La  Vendee  is  constantly  threatened, 
certainly  a  greater  portion  still  would  have  gone  off  to 
their  homes  rather  than  join  in  what  would  seem  to  them 
so  terrible  an  affair  as  a  march  on  Paris.  The  peasants 
are  good  enough  at  fighting,  but  though  they  may  win  a 
victory  by  their  bravery,  they  are  certain  to  lose  a  campaign 
by  their  independent  habits." 

Feeling  convinced  that  the  approach  of  the  Vendean 
army  would  enable  their  enterprise  to  be  carried  out  by  a 
much  smaller  body  than  had  at  first  appeared  necessary, 
Jean  Martin  told  the  two  sailors  that  they  had  better 
abstain  from  broaching  the  matter  to  any  more  of  their 
acquaintances.  They  had  already  obtained  the  adhesion  of 
those  of  whose  fidelity  -they  felt  absolutely  assured,  and 
should  one  of  the  others  whom  they  intended  to  approach 
turn  traitor,  it  would  overthrow  all  chances  of  success, 
and  might  cause  such  alarm  to  the  authorities  that  the 
executions  would  go  on  more  rapidly  than  before,  and  the 
fate  of  their  friends  be  precipitated.  Day  by  day  the 
excitement  in  the  city  increased.  Generals  Beysser  and 
Canclaux  had  under  their  command  some  ten  thousand 
men.      There    was   no   chance   of    further  reinforcements 


200  NO    SURRENDER 

reaching  them,  bat  they  felt  confident  that  they  could 
successfully  defend  the  town  with  this  force. 

Had  Charette  marched  to  Ponts-de-Ce,  and,  crossing 
there,  joined  Cathelineau,  the  danger  would  have  been  much 
more  formidable,  but  instead  of  so  doing  he  was  advancing 
directly  towards  Nantes,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  the 
few  places  remaining  in  the  hands  of  the  Republicans  being 
hastily  evacuated  on  his  approach.  Here,  however,  he 
could  give  but  slight  aid  to  Cathelineau,  for  the  bridge 
crossing  the  Loire  could  be  defended  by  a  comparatively 
small  force  provided  with  cannon  to  sweep  the  approaches. 
In  order  to  reassure  the  townspeople  and  encourage  the 
troops  the  French  generals,  as  the  enemy  approached, 
moved  out  with  a  large  proportion  of  their  force  and  threw 
up  some  intrenchments  a  mile  and  a  half  outside  the  town, 
feeling  confident  that  they  could  withstand  any  attack  in 
the  open  country. 

As  many  of  the  peasants  fled  into  Nantes,  especially  those 
who  in  the  villages  had  rendered  themselves  obnoxious  by 
their  persecutions  of  those  suspected  of  Royalist  leanings, 
or  who  were  personally  obnoxious  to  them,  Leigh  was  able 
to  gather  the  whole  of  his  party  in  the  town. 

They  were,  like  other  peasants,  to  sleep  in  the  open 
squares  or  down  near  the  walls.  They  were  always  to  go 
about  in  pairs,  and  to  meet  Pierre  or  Andre  at  places  and 
hours  arranged  by  them.  They  were  supplied  with  money 
.sufficient  to  buy  bread,  and  were  warned  on  no  account  to 
make  themselves  conspicuous  in  any  way.  With  them 
were  the  men  from  Martin's  estates  who  had  answered  to 
his  summons.  Clothes  had  been  bought  for  the  twelve 
sailors  engaged  by  Medart  and  Rouget.  The  fire-balls  had 
been  prepared  in  the  cabin  of  the  fishing  boat.  Each  of 
the  fourteen  fishermen  was   to  carry  two  of   these.     Their 


THE   AITACK   ON   NANTES  201 

leaders  had  carefully  gone  round  the  quarter,  and  had 
picked  out  the  stores  or  warehouses  into  which  the  fire- 
balls were  to  be  flung.  Among  these  were  several  wood- 
yards.  No  private  houses  were  to  be  fired.  That  the 
flames  would  spread  to  these  was  likely  enough,  but  at  least 
there  would  be  time  for  the  women  and  children  to  escape. 

Having  decided  upon  the  places  to  be  fired,  the  sailors 
were  one  by  one  taken  round,  and  the  two  buildings  assigned 
to  each  pointed  out,  so  that  there  would  be  no  confusion  or 
loss  of  time  when  the  signal  was  given.  Only  two  stores 
near  the  water  had  been  marked  down  for  destruction, 
namely,  those  belonging  to  the  Martins.  This  was  Leigh's 
work.  As  a  firm  the  business  was  extinct.  It  was  now 
the  sole  property  of  Jacques  Martin,  and  there  was  no 
probability  that  Martin  senior  or  Jean  would  ever  recover 
a  share  in  it.  As  in  each  of  the  stores  a  considerable 
quantity  of  spirits  in  addition  to  the  wine  was  housed,  not 
only  would  the  loss  be  very  heavy,  but  the  interest  excited 
in  the  vicinity  would  increase  the  confusion  and  alarm  that 
would  prevail.  Desailles  was  in  daily  communication  with 
his  friend.  He  learned  that  the  list  of  prisoners  was  being 
taken  now  more  in  the  order  in  which  they  stood.  The 
farce  of  a  trial  had  been  gone  through  in  the  case  of  Jean's 
wife,  and  she  had  of  course  been  condemned.  She  stood  a 
good  deal  lower  on  the  list  than  his  father.  There  was  not 
much  chance  of  the  day  of  her  execution  being  settled 
before  the  arrival  of  the  Vendean  forces. 

The  number  of  names,  however,  above  that  of  M. 
Martin  was  rapidly  decreasing,  and  there  was  imminent 
danger  that  he  might  be  included  in  the  fatal  list  before 
their  arrival.  On  the  twenty-sixth  of  June  the  Vendeans 
arrived  within  a  few  miles  of  the  town,  and  a  formal  sum- 
mons was  sent  in  to  the  generals.     It  was  briefly  refused. 


202  NO   SURRENDER 

General  Canclaux  believed  that  he  had  so  strengthened  his 
advanced  position,  which  was  occupied  by  his  best  troops, 
that  he  would  be  able  to  repulse  Cathelineau's  force 
there.  The  Vend^ans,  however,  being  informed  by  the 
peasantry  of  the  formidable  nature  of  the  intrenchments, 
decided  that  it  would  be  dangerous  to  attack  them,  and 
consequently  moved  round  so  as  to  threaten  the  town  from 
the  north.  Charette  on  his  side  moved  his  force  up  within 
cannon-shot  of  the  bridge.  At  eight  o'clock  on  the  evening 
of  the  twenty-seventh  the  sound  of  heavy  firing  was  heard 
in  Nantes.  A  column  of  the  Vend^ans  had  attacked  Nort, 
a  place  lying  to  the  north  of  the  town.  It  was  defended 
by  six  hundred  troops  of  the  line  and  a  body  of  the  National 
Guard.  They  maintained  themselves  there  during  the 
night,  but  at  daybreak  fell  back  upon  the  town,  leaving 
their  cannon  behind  them.  A  considerable  body  of  troops 
moved  out  to  cover  their  retreat. 

Confident  that  the  attack  would  begin  that  evening, 
every  preparation  for  action  was  made  by  Jean  and 
Leigh.  The  powder  barrels  were  dug  up,  and  holes  bored 
for  the  fuses.  The  boys  were  all  informed  that  the  hour 
for  action  was  at  hand,  and  were  ordered  to  lie  down 
at  nightfall  in  the  open  space  facing  the  front  of  the 
prison,  scattering  themselves  among  others  who  would  be 
sleeping  there,  or,  in  expectation  of  the  attack  on  the 
town  beginning,  would  be  standing  in  groups  listening  for 
it.  Leigh  would  be  among  them.  As  the  hour  neared 
twelve  they  were  to  gather  in  a  body.  The  sailors  were 
not  to  begin  their  work  until  the  attack  on  the  town  com- 
menced in  earnest.  Jean,  with  his  twelve  tenants,  was  to 
come  up  at  twelve.  The  exact  moment  for  the  attack  was 
to  be  decided  upon  by  the  progress  made  by  the  fires. 
When  these  had  had  their  effect,  Leigh  was  to  fall  upon  the 


THE   ATTACK   ON  NANTES  203 

guard  round  the  prison,  and  Jean  with  his  band  to  run 
forward  to  the  gate,  plant  the  powder  barrels  against  it, 
light  the  fuse  and  run  back. 

As  soon  as  they  had  killed  or  driven  away  the  guard, 
Leigh's  party  were  to  return  to  the  front.  There  Andre, 
with  half  the  band,  were  to  station  themselves  and  to  hold 
tlie  gate  against  any  armed  body  that  might  arrive,  while 
Leigh,  with  the  others,  entered  the  prison  and  aided,  if 
necessary,  to  overpower  the  warders  and  blow  open  the 
doors  of  the  cells.  The  prisoners  were  all  to  be  told  that 
Charette's  army  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  Loire,  and  that 
their  best  plan  was  to  make  their  way  down  to  the  river, 
seize  boats,  and  get  across. 

At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  Charette's  guns  opened 
against  the  barricades  that  had  been  thrown  up  at  the 
bridge.  Canclaux,  seeing  that  the  attack  upon  the  north 
had  rendered  it  useless  for  him  to  retain  the  advanced 
post,  ordered  the  troops  there  to  fall  back  into  the  town 
at  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening;  and  at  eleven  the  whole 
garrison  were  concentrated  in  Nantes. 

Finding  that,  with  the  exception  of  the  cannonade  on 
both  sides  across  the  river,  all  remained  quiet,  Leigh  passed 
the  word  round  among  his  followers  to  remain  as  they 
were  until  further  orders.  Jean  and  his  men  came  up  by 
twos  and  threes  before  twelve,  and  these,  too,  lay  down  as 
if  to  sleep,  or  seated  themselves  on  the  steps  of  the  houses. 
Few  of  the  inhabitants  had  retired  to  rest.  They  knew 
that  at  any  moment  the  storm  might  break,  and  some 
awaited  the  attack  with  hope  that  the  time  of  their  release 
from  the  tyranny  under  which  they  had  for  months  groaned 
had  come ;  while  others  trembled  at  the  thought  of  the  ven- 
geance that,  if  the  town  were  taken,  would  fall  upon  those 
who  had  been  concerned  in  what  had  passed.     Martin  and 


204  NO   SURRENDER 

Desailles  presently  joined  Leigh.  As  the  time  went  on  they 
began  to  fear  that  for  some  reason  or  other  the  Vende'ans 
had  determined  to  delay  their  attack  until  the  next  day. 
At  half-past  two  Charette's  cannonade  redoubled  in  vigour, 
and  the  rattle  of  musketry  showed  that  his  troops  were 
advancing.  The  batteries  of  the  defenders  opened  with 
equal  violence,  and  their  musketry  answered  that  of  the 
assailants  on  the  opposite  bank. 

"  I  think  that  that  must  be  the  signal  for  Cathelineau  to 
begin,"  Martin  said.  And  ten  minutes  later  the  attack 
commenced  with  fury  upon  the  gates  of  Vannes,  Rennes, 
and  that  by  the  river. 

Every  window  was  opened,  and  anxious  faces  looked  out. 
The  night  was  dark,  and  the  few  oil  lamps  alone  threw 
a  feeble  light  on  the  square.  Suddenly  a  broad  glare  roso 
to  the  west,  and  the  murmur,  "There  is  a  house  on  fire  !  " 
passed  from  mouth  to  mouth.  In  another  few  minutes 
flames  were  seen  rising  at  a  dozen  points,  and  a  cry  of  con- 
sternation arose. 

"  The  brigands  have  entered  the  town  !  They  are  going 
to  burn  it  to  the  ground." 

Man  after  man  of  the  little  group  of  National  Guards 
who  had  been  gathered  talking  in  front  of  the  door  of  the 
prison  was  seen  to  detach  himself  from  it  and  to  move 
quietly  away.  Then  those  at  the  windows  noticed  four  or 
five  parties  of  men  move  forward  from  among  those  who 
were  standing  talking ;  when  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
guard  there  was  a  sharp  command,  and  these  groups  all 
rushed  towards  the  gates  together.  There  were  shouts  and 
cries,  and  then  there  was  silence.  Taken  wholly  by  surprise, 
the  guard  had  fallen  under  the  knives  of  the  Vendeans 
without  having  had  time  to  fire  a  shot.  Then  the  majority  of 
their  assailants  ran  off,  half  one  way,  half  the  other,  follow- 


THE   AITACK   ON   NANTES  205 

ing  the  wall  of  the  prison.  Two  pistol-shots  were  fired  a 
moment  later.  The  men  who  had  remained  at  the  gate 
drew  back  for  some  distance.  There  was  a  short  pause, 
and  then  a  tremendous  explosion.  All  the  people  gathered 
in  the  place,  save  those  who  had  carried  out  the  affair,  fled 
with  cries  of  terror.  Then  Jean  and  his  party  dashed 
forward  towards  the  shattered  gates  and  entered  the  prison, 
and  shot  or  cut  down  the  frightened  warders  as  these  came 
running  out  dazed  and  bewildered  at  the  sound  of  the  ex- 
plosion.    Jean  seized  one  of  them  by  the  throat. 

"  Where  are  the  keys  kept  ?  Answer,  or  I  will  blow  out 
your  brains !  " 

The  frightened  ruffian  at  once  led  the  way  to  the  chief 
warder's  room.  He  had  already  fallen,  being  one  of  the 
first  to  run  down.     There  were  two  bunches  of  keys. 

"  These  are  of  the  doors  of  the  corridors,'^  the  man  said, 
taking  down  one  bunch.     "■  The   others  are  of  the  cells.'' 

''  Now,  go  before  us  and  open  them  all  —  every  one,  mind." 

They  were  soon  joined  by  Leigh  with  his  party,  who  had 
made  short  work  of  the  few  guards  who  remained  at  their 
post  outside  the  prison. 

"  Set  your  men  to  blow  in  the  doors,"  Jean  said ;  "  it 
would  take  half  an  hour  to  unlock  them  all  at  this  rate." 

Pistols  were  at  once  applied  to  the  key-holes,  and  the 
locks  destroyed.  There  were  a  few  separate  cells,  but  the 
prisoners  were  for  the  most  part  crowded,  twenty  or  thirty 
together,  in  the  larger  rooms.  As  he  entered  each  room 
Leigh  shouted  the  directions  agreed  on  to  the  prisoners. 
In  a  short  time  he  came  upon  Jean,  who,  as  had  been 
arranged,  had  gone  first  to  the  rooms  where  his  father  and 
Patsey  were  confined.  Jean  started  with  these  at  once  with 
six  of  his  men,  leaving  Leigh  and  Desailles  to  see  to  the  re- 
lease of  the  rest  of  the  prisoners.     As  soon  as  all  rooms  had 


206  NO  surrende:r 

been  burst  open  or  unlocked,  he  and  his  party,  with  that 
at  the  gate,  hurried  away.  The  streets  were  light,  a^  a 
sheet  of  flame  rose  from  the  stores  of  Jacques  Martin. 
The  musketry  fire  on  the  wharves  showed  that  there  were 
troops  stationed  there.  As  they  hurried  along,  the  shouts 
of  alarm  which  rose  in  the  town  showed  that  the  news  of 
the  attack  upon  the  prison  had  spread  rapidly.  As  soon  as 
the  released  prisoners  knew  that  they  were  well  above  the 
bridge,  and  the  silence  on  the  wharves  showed  that  none  of 
the  troops  were  stationed  there,  shouts  of  delight  arose. 
There  were  a  good  many  boats  moored  to  the  bank,  and  the 
fugitives  threw  themselves  into  these. 

"  Get  out  your  oars  and  row  straight  across,"  Leigh 
shouted.  "  If  you  drift  down  the  stream  you  will  come 
under  the  fire  of  the  troops  there.'' 

Then,  having  done  their  work  he  and  his  band  went 
up  a  hundred  yards  farther,  where  they  knew  that  three 
large  boats  were  lying.  In  these  they  took  their  places 
and  started  to  row  across  the  river,  and  in  ^ve  minutes 
reached  the  opposite  bank.  They  sprang  out  with  a  shoi.t 
of  joy  at  finding  themselves  again  in  their  own  country. 
Most  of  the  fugi^-ives  also  gained  the  opposite  bank,  but  son  e 
boats,  in  which  there  were  but  few  capable  of  handling  tl^.e 
oars,  drifted  down  the  river,  and  lost  most  of  their  number 
from  the  fire  of  the  troops  on  the  bank,  before  they  could 
land  among  the  men  of  Charette's  army.  Leigh  with  his 
boys  soon  joined  the  other  party,  who  had  landed  a  hundred 
yards  higher  up.  It  was  a  joyful  meeting  indeed  between 
him  and  Patsey. 

*'  Jean  tells  me  it  is  all  your  doing  that  we  have  been  got 
out,"  she  said.    ^*I  felt  sure  you  would  manage  it  somehow." 

They  had  already  arranged  their  plans.  Jean,  with  his 
wife  and  father  and  his  twelve  men,  was  to  start  at  once 


JEAN    SEIZED    ONE    OF   THEM    BY    THE   THROAT. 


THE    ATTACK    ON    NANTES  207 

for  Parthenay,  where  Lescure  was  in  command.  Leigh  had 
determined  to  join  Cathelineau  with  as  many  of  his  band 
as  chose  to  accompany  him.  Desailles  would  go  with  Jean. 
The  boys,  on  the  choice  being  given  them,  almost  all  decided 
to  accompany  Leigh.  They  were  excited  at  the  success  that 
had  attended  them,  and  the  tremendous  roll  of  fire  round 
the  town  showed  how  fiercely  their  countrymen  were  fight- 
ing, and  they  longed  to  join  in  the  conflict.  Saying  good- 
bye to  those  who  were  going,  Leigh  and  his  party  towed 
one  of  the  boats  a  mile  up  the  river,  and  then  crossing, 
soon  joined  the  party  engaged.  The  Vend^ans  had  already 
advanced  some  distance,  but  every  house  and  garden  was 
fiercely  contested.  Hour  after  hour  passed,  and  the  troops 
were  beginning  to  be  discouraged.  It  was  broad  daylight 
now,  and  the  Vend^ans  pressed  forward  at  all  points  more 
hotly  than  ever. 

The  troops  were  falling  into  disorder,  and  would  soon 
have  become  a  disorganized  mass,  when  a  musket-ball,  fired 
from  a  window,  struck  Cathelineau  in  the  breast,  as,  with 
his  officers,  who  had  been  considerably  increased  in  number 
owing  to  the  many  gentlemen  who  had  joined  him  at 
Saumur,  he  was  leading  on  his  troops.  A  cry  of  dismay 
rose  from  those  who  saw  him  fall,  and  the  news  spread  like 
wild-fire  among  the  peasants,  who  regarded  him  with  an 
almost  superstitious  reverence,  and  had  a  firm  belief  that 
he  was  protected  by  Heaven  from  the  balls  of  his  enemies. 
His  loss  seemed  to  them  an  irretrievable  misfortune.  The 
fierceness  of  their  attack  diminished.  Their  ardour  was  gone, 
and  the  Blues,  gaining  courage  as  their  assailants  ceased  to 
press  them,  took  the  offensive.  They  met  with  but  little 
opposition.  The  Vend^an  army,  lately  on  the  point  of  being 
victorious,  was  already  breaking  up,  and  ere  long  was  scat- 
tered over  the  country,  its  retreat  being  undisturbed  by  the 


208  NO    SURRENDER 

enemy,  who  could  scarcely  believe  their  own  good  fortune  at 
having  succeeded  when  all  had  seemed  lost. 

Cathelineau  was  carried  off,  but  died  a  fortnight  later  from 
the  effects  of  the  wound.  His  death  was  a  terrible  blow  to 
the  cause.  The  failure  to  take  Nantes  had  in  itself  been 
a  great  misfortune,  but  the  Vend^ans  had  suffered  no  more 
heavily  than  the  enemy ;  and  had  Cathelineau  been  but 
spared,  matters  might  still  have  gone  well  with  them.  The 
effect  of  his  death,  however,  was  for  the  time  to  dishearten 
the  peasantry  utterly ;  and  had  at  this  time  terms  of  peace, 
which  would  have  permitted  them  to  enjoy  the  exercise  of 
their  religion  and  to  be  free  from  conscription,  been  offered 
to  them,  they  would  gladly  have  been  accepted. 

Charette,  after  he  saw  that  the  attack  upon  Nantes  from 
the  north  side  of  the  river  had  failed,  fell  back  with  his 
force,  as  before,  into  Lower  Poitou.  The  Vend^ans,  now 
under  Bonchamp,  who  had  also  been  wounded,  retired  along 
the  north  bank  of  the  Loire,  crossing  the  river  at  various 
points  as  they  could  find  boats.  Before  joining  in  the  fight, 
Leigh  had  told  his  band  that,  in  the  event  of  failure,  he 
should  recross  the  river  in  the  boat  that  had  brought  them 
over.  They  had  all  kept  near  him  during  the  struggle. 
Eight  of  them  had  fallen,  several  others  were  wounded,  and 
he  himself  had  received  a  musket-ball  in  the  shoulder.  As 
soon  as  he  saw  that  the  battle  was  lost,  he  withdrew  from 
it,  and  made  his  way  with  the  boys  to  the  river  bank, 
recrossed  the  stream,  and  struck  across  the  country.  After 
proceeding  some  six  miles  they  entered  a  wood  and  lay 
down  and  slept  for  some  hours,  and  then  marched  to 
Parthenay. 

Here  the  band  broke  up  and  proceeded  to  their  homes, 
while  Leigh  made  his  way  to  Lescure's  head-quarters, 
learned  where  his  friends  were  lodged,  and   joined  them. 


THE   ATTACK   ON   NANTES  209 

Patsey  gave  a  cry  of  alarm  as  he  entered.  Fugitives  had 
arrived  before  him,  and  it  was  already  known  that  the  attack 
on  Nantes  had  failed,  and  that  Cathelineau  was  mortally 
wounded. 

"What  is  it,  Leigh?" 

"I  am  wounded  in  the  shoulder.  It  is  nothing  very 
serious,  I  think,  though  I  suppose  I  sha'n't  be  able  to  hold 
a  sword  for  some  time." 

A  surgeon  was  soon  fetched,  the  ball  extracted,  and  the 
wound  bandaged,  and  they  then  sat  down  to  talk  over  the 
events  that  had  occurred.  Since  they  had  been  separated 
Monsieur  Martin  had  become  a  broken  man.  The  fact 
that  his  son,  who  assuredly  had  it  in  his  power  to  protect 
him,  had  given  him  over  to  the  terrible  tribunal,  had  been  a 
harder  blow  to  him  than  the  prospect  of  death,  and  even  the 
devotion  that  had  been  shown  by  Jean  scarcely  sufficed  to 
comfort  him.  Patsey  was  pale  and  thin  ;  her  imprisonment 
had  told  upon  her,  and,  still  more,  the  thought  of  what  Jean 
must  be  suffering  on  her  account,  and  her  uncertainty  as  to 
the  fate  of  her  child.  But  even  the  twenty-four  hours  that 
had  elapsed  since  she  had  left  her  prison  had  done  much  for 
her.  The  news  that  the  child  was  safe  and  well  had  taken  a 
load  off  her  mind,  and  she  felt  proud  indeed  that  her  release, 
and  that  of  so  many  others  of  her  fellow-prisoners,  had  been 
brought  about  by  the  devotion  of  her  husband  and  her 
brother.  Before  the  day  was  out,  she  was  laughing  and 
chatting  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

On  the  following  morning  they  started  early,  and  reached 
home  in  the  afternoon.  They  were  received  with  delight  by 
their  people,  although  many  of  these  had  lost  relations  in  the 
recent  battles.  A  house  in  the  village  was  placed  at  their 
disposal,  Patsey  riding  straight  on  to  see  her  child,  with 
which,  and  its  faithful  nurse,  she  soon  returned. 

H 


*Z1{)  NO    SURRENDER 

"  And  now,  Jean,"  Patsey  said,  when,  with  the  cur^  and 
Jules  Desailles,  they  sat  down  for  a  quiet  talk  that  evening, 
"what  is  to  be  the  next  thing?" 

"You  should  ask  the  Blues  that,"  he  replied.  "So  far 
as  I  can  see  it  will  be  a  repetition  of  what  has  taken  place. 
They  will  invade  us  again,  and  probably  we  shall  beat  them 
back.  Each  time  they  will  come  with  larger  forces,  and,  at 
last,  I  suppose  we  shall  have  to  endeavour  to  make  our  way 
to  England.  T  am  afraid  there  can  be  no  question  that  that 
will  be  the  end  of  it.  Fight  as  we  may,  we  cannot  withstand 
the  whole  strength  of  France." 

"Why  can  we  not  fly  at  once?"  Monsieur  Martin 
asked. 

"  The  difficulty  in  reaching  the  coast,  and  of  getting  a 
passage,  would  be  immense.  Besides,  so  long  as  La  Vendee 
resists,  so  long  is  it  my  duty  to  fight,  and  I  am  sure  that 
Patsey  would  not  wish  me  to  do  otherwise.  I  have  been  in 
it  from  the  first,  and  must  stay  until  the  end,  if  I  am  not 
killed  before  that  comes.  If  it  were  possible  to  send  you 
and  Patsey  and  Leigh  away  to  England,  I  would  gladly  do 
so ;  but  I  am  sure  that  she  would  not  go,  and  I  think  I  may 
say  the  same  for  Leigh." 

"  Certainly,  Jean  ;  as  long  as  you  stay  I  stay.  My  life  is 
far  less  important  than  yours,  for  I  have  no  one  dependent 
upon  me.  I  quite  agree  with  you  that  the  war  can  end 
in  only  one  way,  but  till  that  comes,  all  those  who  have 
been  the  leaders  of  these  poor  peasants  ought  to  hold  by 
them." 

"  I  agree  entirely  with  you  both,"  Patsey  added,  and  there 
was  no  more  to  be  said. 


A  SERIES   OF   VICTORIES  211 

CHAPTER  XII 

A  SERIES   OF  VICTORIES 

ORE  formidable  foes  than  the  peasants  had  yet  met 
IVx  were  approaching  La  Vendee.  Mayence  had  sur- 
rendered to  the  allies,  and  the  garrison  there,  which  was 
a  large  one,  composed  of  veteran  troops,  was  allowed  to 
march  away  on  each  man  taking  an  oath  that  he  would 
not  again  serve  on  the  frontier.  Outside  France  there  was 
no  idea  of  the  desperate  struggle  that  was  going  on  in  La 
Vendee.  Had  it  been  known  in  England  that  it  needed 
but  little  aid  for  Brittany  and  La  Vendee  to  successfully 
oppose  the  efforts  of  the  Republic,  men,  money,  arms,  and 
ammunition  would  no  doubt  have  been  sent ;  but  unfortu- 
nately the  leaders  of  the  insurrection,  occupied  as  they 
were  with  the  efforts  they  were  making,  had  taken  no  steps 
to  send  a  statement  of  the  real  facts  of  the  case  to  the 
English  government. 

The  ports  were  all  in  the  hands  of  the  Republicans,  and 
although  in  Paris  public  attention  was  concentrated  on  the 
struggle,  the  British  government  was  very  badly  informed 
as  to  what  was  passing  there.  Had  the  allies  been  aware 
of  it,  the  terms  granted  to  the  garrison  at  Mayence  would 
have  been  very  different,  and  they  would  either  have  been 
held  as  prisoners  or  been  compelled  to  take  the  oath  that 
they  would  in  future  not  serve  the  Republic  in  any  way 
in  arms.  As  it  was  they  were  free  to  act  in  France, 
and  were  already  on  the  march  towards  La  Vendue.  As 
before,  arrangements  were  made  for  the  district  to  be 
attacked  simultaneously  on  all  sides.  La  Rochejaquelein 
was  so  much  weakened  by  the  return  of  the  peasants  to 


212  NO    SURRENDER 

their  homes  that  he  was  obliged  to  evacuate  Saumur,  and 
this  town  was  taken  possession  of  by  the  division  from 
Tours,  consisting  of  twelve  thousand  five  hundred  infantry, 
sixteen  hundred  cavalry,  and  four  hundred  artillerymen, 
under  General  Menou. 

The  division  of  Niort  comprised  fifteen  thousand  six  hun- 
dred infantry,  and  thirteen  hundred  and  eighty  cavalry.  It 
was  commanded  by  Chalbos,  having  Westermann  with  him. 
At  Sables  were  four  thousand  three  hundred  infantry,  two 
hundred  and  fifty  cavalry,  and  three  hundred  artillery.  They 
were  commanded  by  General  Boulard. 

There  was  but  small  breathing  time  for  the  Vend^ans. 
Westermann  had  moved  towards  Parthenay  with  a  strong 
force,  and  but  a  few  hours  after  the  Martins  had  left  it 
Lescure  was  forced  to  fall  back  from  the  town.  This  was 
occupied  by  the  Blues.  They  pillaged  and  burned  a  village 
near,  although  no  opposition  had  been  offered,  and  then 
sent  off  a  force  which  burned  Lescure's  chateau  at  Chsson. 
The  Martins  were  engaged  in  conversation  when  a  messenger 
ran  in. 

"  I  have  an  order  from  Monsieur  Lescure,"  he  said.  "  The 
church  bells  are  to  be  rung  throughout  the  district." 

All  started  to  their  feet.  "Already?"  Jean  exclaimed. 
"Why,  what  has  happened?" 

"We  have  fallen  back  from  Parthenay.  The  Blues, 
under  Westermann,  eight  thousand  strong,  have  already 
occupied  the  town.  The  general's  orders  are  that  all  are 
to  join  him  at  Moulin  in  two  days'  time.  Messengers  have 
been  despatched  all  over  the  country,  and  Monsieur  de  la 
Rochejaquelin  has  been  sent  for  to  join  General  Lescure 
at  Moulin." 

"That  gives  us  twenty-four  hours,  then,"  Jean  said  with 
a  sigh  of  content.     "  I  will  see  that  your  message  is  carried 


A  SERIES   OF   VICTORIES  '213 

on  to  all  the  villages  near ;  there  are  plenty  of  boys  of  twelve 
or  fourteen  about  the  place." 

But  the  bells  rang  that  night  to  deaf  ears.  Many  of  the 
peasants  were  still  absent,  others  had  returned  but  a  few 
hours  before,  worn  out  and  dispirited.  But  when  on  the 
following  day  the  news  came  that  Westermann's  troops 
were  burning  villages,  and  slaying  all  who  fell  into  their 
hands,  and  that  Monsieur  de  Lescure's  chateau  had  been 
burnt,  fury  and  indignation  again  fired  them,  and  that 
night  the  greater  part  of  them  set  out  for  Moulin. 

"  I  wonder  what  has  become  of  our  horses,"  Jean  said,  as 
he  prepared  to  start.  "We  shall  never  hear  any  more  of 
those  we  left  at  Nantes.  We  must  go  on  foot  this  time, 
and  trust  to  getting  hold  of  a  couple  of  horses  the  first 
time  we  defeat  the  Blues." 

He  had  that  day  been  over  with  Patsey,  her  child,  his 
father,  the  nurse,  and  Frangois  to  the  peasant's  house 
deep  in  the  forest,  to  which  he  had  before  arranged  that 
she  should  go  in  case  of  need.  All  the  party  were  dressed 
as  peasants.  The  man  and  woman  from  whom  the  house 
was  hired  removed  to  another  hut  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
away.  Frangois  was  to  go  down  every  day  in  the  cart 
to  the  village  to  get  news  and  letters  and  buy  provisions. 
The  cure  had  arranged  to  send  off  one  of  the  village  boys 
the  moment  that  he  heard  that  any  party  of  the  Blues 
were  approaching,  when  the  whole  of  the  occupants  of  the 
village  and  the  farms  around  it  would  be  obliged  to  take 
to  the  woods,  for  it  was  evident  that  neither  age  nor  sex 
was  respected  by  Westermann's  troops. 

It  was  morning  when  Jean,  Leigh,  and  Desailles  arrived 
at  Moulin.  They  were  warmly  received  by  Rochejaquelein 
and  Bonchamp,  to  whom  Jean  introduced  Desailles  as  a  new 
comrade. 


214  NO  SURRENDER 

*'  I  know  nothing  of  fighting,"  the  latter  said,  "  but, 
gentlemen,  I  shall  do  my  best." 

"That  is  all  that  anyone  can  do,"  Rochejaquelein  said 
heartily.  "We  may  say  that  none  of  us,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Monsieur  Bonchamp  and  a  few  others,  had  any 
experience  in  fighting  when  we  began,  but  we  have  done 
pretty  well  on  the  whole." 

"  Do  you  think  that  we  have  much  chance  of  holding 
this  place?"  Jean  asked.  "They  told  us  as  we  came  in 
that  at  present  there  are  not  much  more  than  eight  thou- 
sand men  here,  and  VVestermann,  they  say,  has  about  as 
many." 

"  That  is  so,"  Bonchamp  said,"  and  I  do  not  expect  that 
we  shall  beat  them ;  but  we  must  fight,  or  they  will  march 
through  the  country  wasting  and  destroying  as  they  go. 
It  is  only  by  showing  them  that  we  are  still  formidable, 
and  that  they  must  keep  together  and  be  prudent  and 
cautious,  that  we  can  maintain  ourselves ;  a  succession  of 
blows,  even  of  light  ones,  will  break  a  rock." 

At  two  o'clock  the  enemy's  forces  approached,  and  the 
engagement  soon  became  hot.  Every  hedge  was  lined  by 
the  peasants,  every  position  strongly  defended,  and  only 
evacuated  when  the  horns  gave  the  signal.  At  the  end  of 
two  hours  Westermann,  after  losing  a  considerable  number 
of  men,  approached  ground  where  his  cavalry  could  come 
into  play,  and  the  leaders  of  all  the  bands  had  been  warned 
that  when  they  fell  back  to  this  point  the  horn  was  to  be 
sounded  three  times,  and  that  resistance  was  to  cease  at 
once  and  the  bands  disperse,  to  meet  at  a  given  point  two 
hours  later.  Seven  of  the  ten  cannon  they  had  with  them 
were  safely  carried  off;  and  although  compelled  to  retire 
from  their  position,  the  peasants  were  well  satisfied  with 
having  withstood  so  long  the  attack  of  an  equal  number  of 


A   SERIES   OF  VICTORIES  215 

troops,  supported  by  an   artillery  much  superior  to   their 
own. 

Leigh  had  taken  no  part  in  the  actual  fighting.  His  right 
arm  was  tightly  strapped,  and  bandaged  across  his  chest, 
and  he  therefore  acted  only  as  the  general's  aide-de-camp. 

"  I  '11  tell  you  what  it  is,  Jules,"  Jean  said  to  Desailles 
as  they  retired  from  the  field.  "If  you  are  going  to  ex- 
pose yourself  in  the  way  you  have  done  to-day  your  fighting 
will  be  over  before  long.  When  it  comes  to  leading  the 
peasants  to  an  attack,  one  must  necessarily  set  the  men  an 
example;  but  when  on  the  defence,  you  see  the  peasants 
all  lie  down  behind  the  hedges  and  bushes  and  show 
themselves  as  Httle  as  possible.  And  there  were  you  walking 
about  as  if  you  were  in  the  principal  street  in  Nantes  !  I 
do  not  say  that  we  must  not  expose  ourselves  a  good  deal 
more  than  the  peasants  in  order  to  encourage  them ;  but 
there  is  a  limit  to  all  things,  and  one  must  remember  that 
we  are  very  short  of  officers,  and  that  the  peasants,  brave 
as  they  are,  would  be  useless  without  someone  to  direct 
them." 

"I  have  no  doubt  but  you  are  right,  Jean,"  Desailles 
said  with  a  laugh ;  ^'  but  in  fact,  I  don't  remember  giving 
a  thought  to  the  matter.  I  was  almost  bewildered  by  the 
roar  of  the  battle  and  the  whistling  of  the  bullets.  I  felt 
like  a  man  who  had  taken  too  much  wine,  which  in  my 
student  days  happened  to  me  more  than  once.  My  blood 
seemed  to  rush  through  my  veins,  and  I  would  have  given 
anything  for  the  order  to  come  for  us  to  throw  ourselves 
upon  the  enemy. 

"You  will  get  over  that,"  Jean  laughed,  "but  the  same 
feeling  is  strong  among  the  men.  One  can  see  how  eager 
they  are  for  the  order  to  charge.  They  use  their  muskets, 
but  it  is  to  use  their  bayonets  that  they  are  panting.     They 


216  NO   SURRENDER 

would  make  grand  soldiers  if  they  were  but  well  drilled  and 
disciplined.  Unless  I  am  mistaken,  you  will  see  them  at  their 
favourite  work  before  many  days  are  over.  Westermann 
will  get  to  Chatillon  to-night.  When  he  gets  there  he 
will  find  no  provisions  for  his  troops,  and  will  begin  to 
wonder  whether  he  is  wise  in  thus  penetrating  so  far  into  a 
nest  of  hornets.  Bonchamp  will  give  him  two  or  three  days 
to  forget  the  mauling  that  we  have  given  him.  By  that 
time  our  force  will  have  increased,  and  it  will  be  well  for 
Westermann  if  he  manages  to  carry  half  his  force  back  with 
him." 

The  news  of  the  burning  of  la  Rochejaquelein's  chateau 
on  the  following  day  excited  the  liveliest  indignation.  The 
young  count  himself  received  the  news  with  greater  indiffer- 
ence than  did  those  around  him. 

**  When  a  man  carries  his  life  in  his  hand  every  day,"  he 
said,  "  he  does  not  fret  over  the  loss  of  a  house.  I  do  not  sup- 
pose that  I  should  ever  have  sat  down  quietly  in  possession 
of  it,  and  the  cousin  who  is  my  heir  may  have  to  wait  a  num- 
ber of  years  before,  if  ever,  he  comes  to  take  possession  of 
the  estate.  Had  circumstances  been  different,  the  loss  of  the 
old  chateau  where  my  family  have  lived  for  so  many  years 
would  have  been  very  grievous  to  me,  but  at  present  it 
affects  me  comparatively  little.  It  is  lucky  that  I  sent  off 
four  men  directly  the  fight  was  over  with  a  letter  to  my 
steward,  charging  him  to  hand  over  to  them  the  four  horses 
that  still  remained  in  my  stables.  They  arrived  here  an 
hour  ago.  I  guessed  that  the  Blues  would  be  paying  a  visit 
there  in  my  absence.  One  of  them  is  for  you,  Monsieur 
Martin,  and  one  for  Leigh ;  the  others  I  shall  keep  as  spare 
chargers.  I  have  had  two  shot  under  me  already,  and  am 
likely  to  have  more.  In  the  meantime,  if  your  friend 
Monsieur  Desailles  likes  to  ride  one  it  is  at  his  service." 


A   SERIES   OF   VICTORIES  217 

"I  thank  you  very  much,  marquis,"  Jules  said,  "but  I 
would  prefer  trusting  to  my  own  legs.  My  profession  has 
been  a  peaceful  one,  and  I  have  never  yet  mounted  a  horse, 
and  certainly  should  feel  utterly  out  of  my  element  in  the 
saddle  with  an  animal  under  me  excited  almost  to  madness 
by  the  sounds  of  battle.  Of  the  two,  I  think  that  I  should 
prefer  being  on  a  ship  during  a  storm." 

Rochejaquelein  laughed.  "  It  is  all  a  matter  of  training," 
he  said.  "As  for  me  I  feel  twice  the  man  on  horseback 
that  I  do  on  foot.  I  have  never  tried  fighting  on  foot  yet, 
and  I  should  certainly  feel  altogether  out  of  my  element  the 
first  time  that  I  attempted  it.  However,  I  will  not  press 
the  animal  on  you.  I  shall  send  it  and  the  other  to  some 
cottage  in  the  heart  of  the  woods,  whence  I  can  have  them 
fetched  when  needed." 

"I  am  sure  that  we  are  greatly  obliged  to  you,"  Jean 
said.  "  As  I  told  you,  when  relating  our  adventure  in 
Nantes,  we  had  to  leave  our  horses  behind  us  there,  though 
had  we  captured  the  town  we  should  have  recovered  them. 
As  it  is,  the  Blues  carried  off  the  two  I  had  left  behind  at 
the  chateau,  and  I  could  only  buy  one  other  as  we  came 
through.  That  I  detailed  for  the  use  of  my  wife.  I 
certainly  had  not  expected  to  obtain  another  until  we  cap- 
tured some  from  the  enemy.  We  are  heartily  obliged  to 
you,  not  only  for  your  generous  gift,  but  for  your  thought- 
ful kindness  in  sending  for  them  for  us." 

"  Say  not  another  word,"  Rochejaquelein  said.  "  You  are 
a  sailor  and  I  am  a  soldier,  and  between  us  there  is  no 
occasion  for  thanks  or  compliments.  You  would  have  done 
the  same  for  me,  and  I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  set  you  both 
on  horseback  again.  And  indeed,  I  am  not  sure  that  I  was 
not  a  little  selfish  in  the  matter,  for  yesterday  I  missed 
the  company  of  your  brother-in-law  greatly,  and  felt  that 


218  NO  SURRENDER 

I  would  give  a  good  deal  to  hear  his  cheery  laugh  and 
confident  tone." 

As  usual,  the  army  dispersed  after  its  victory ;  but  there 
were  but  a  few  days'  quiet,  for  on  the  fourteenth  it  gathered 
to  oppose  the  advance  of  a  strong  French  column  from 
Brissac,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth,  early,  just  as  the 
troops  were  getting  into  movement,  the  Vendeans  burst  down 
upon  them.  Their  numbers  were  not  large,  for  the  notice 
had  been  short,  and  only  the  peasants  of  the  surrounding 
district  had  had  time  to  gather.  Nevertheless  they  attacked 
with  such  energy,  led  by  Rochejaquelein  and  d'Elbee,  that 
they  fought  their  way  into  the  middle  of  the  camp,  captured 
the  head-quarters  with  its  correspondence  and  treasury, 
and  scattered  several  battalions  in  utter  confusion.  On  the 
return  of  the  advanced  guard  under  Santerre  the  situation 
changed;  the  fugitives  were  rallied,  and  after  long  and 
fierce  fighting  the  Vendeans  drew  off. 

"  We  must  admit  another  failure,"  said  Rochejaquelein, 
who  had  with  his  little  troop  of  mounted  men  been  in  the 
thick  of  the  fight,  charging  again  and  again  into  the  midst  of 
the  enemy,  and  covering  the  retreat  when  it  began  by 
opposing  a  determined  front  to  the  enemy's  cavalry  —  "a 
failure,  but  a  glorious  one.  They  were  superior  to  us  in 
numbers,  and  yet,  if  it  had  n't  been  that  their  advanced 
guard  returned  while  our  men  were  scattered,  intent  upon 
the  plunder  of  their  head-quarters,  we  should  have  won  the 
day.  However,  we  shall  have  reinforcements  up  in  a  couple 
of  days." 

On  the  seventeenth,  the  French  column  resumed  its 
march.  Santerre's  command  led  the  way  to  Vihiers,  which 
they  reached  without  opposition  ;  the  rest  of  the  division 
arrived  in  the  afternoon.  They  had  left  at  their  previous 
halting-place  the  heavy  baggage,  with  a  portion  of  their  artil- 


A   SERIES   OF   VICTORIES  219 

lery  ammunition.  Scarcely  had  they  arrived  at  Vihiers  when 
a  tremendous  explosion  told  them  that  the  guard  left  behind 
had  been  overpowered  and  their  store  of  ammunition  de- 
stroyed. A  feeling  of  uneasiness  and  alarm  spread  through 
the  army.  Santerre's  battalion  were  at  once  attacked  by 
Rochejaquelein,  who  had  but  a  small  body  of  men  with  him, 
but  who  thought  to  take  advantage  of  the  alarm  which  the 
explosion  would  naturally  cause  among  the  enemy.  San- 
terre's  battalion,  however,  stood  firm,  and  the  Vend^ans 
were  drawn  off.  In  the  night,  however,  the  main  body  of 
the  peasants  arrived,  and  at  one  o'clock  next  day  made  their 
attack.  Menou  himself,  with  the  rest  of  his  command,  had 
now  come  up.  Some  of  the  battalions,  as  before,  stood 
steadily ;  but  the  rest  of  the  army,  dispirited  by  the  perse- 
verance with  which  the  Vendeans,  in  spite  of  failure  and 
losses,  were  ever  ready  to  renew  their  attack,  speedily  lost 
heart. 

In  two  hours  the  right  fell  back  in  disorder,  the  panic 
spread,  and  in  a  short  time  the  rout  became  general.  In 
vain  the  officers  endeavoured  to  check  the  fugitives ;  so 
great  was  their  terror,  that  in  three  hours  the  panic-stricken 
mob  traversed  the  distance  between  Vihiers  and  Saumur. 
Thus  the  second  great  invasion  of  La  Vendee  had  met  with 
no  greater  success  than  the  first,  the  two  strong  columns 
that  had  advanced  in  full  confidence  of  success  had  returned 
utterly  discomfited.  Westermann's  division  had  been  all 
but  annihilated,  the  army  from  Saumur  had  lost  great  num- 
bers of  men,  and  had  for  the  time  ceased  to  be  a  military 
body.  The  Bocage,  with  its  sombre  woods,  its  thick  hedges, 
and  its  brave  population,  seemed  destined  to  become  the 
grave  of  the  Republican  army,  and  the  order  to  advance 
into  it  was  in  itself  sufficient  to  shake  the  courage  of  those 
who  boasted  so  loudly  when  at  a  distance.     It  was  the  grave. 


220  NO    SURRENDER 

too,  of  the  reputation  of  the  French  generals.     One  after 
another  they  had  tried,  failed,  and  been  disgraced. 

The  first  general,  Marce,  was  superseded  by  Berruyer, 
Berruyer  by  Biron,  who  was  recalled  and  guillotined. 
Westermann  was  also  tried,  but  having  powerful  friends, 
was  acquitted.  Generals  of  divisions  had  come  and  gone  in 
numbers.  Some  had  been  dismissed,  some,  at  their  own 
urgent  request,  allowed  to  return  to  the  districts  they  com- 
manded before  the  outbreak  of  the  insurrection;  but  one 
and  all  had  failed,  one  and  all,  too,  had  never  ceased  from 
the  time  they  joined  the  army  of  invasion  to  send  report 
after  report  to  the  Convention  complaining  of  the  untrust- 
worthiness  of  the  troops,  the  bad  conduct  and  uselessness 
of  the  officers,  and  the  want  of  a  sufficient  staff  to  maintain 
discipline  and  restore  order.  Indeed,  the  bulk  of  the  revo- 
lutionary troops  possessed  little  more  disciphne  than  the 
Vendeans  themselves,  and  being  uninspired,  as  were  the 
latter,  by  a  feeling  either  of  religion  or  of  patriotic  en- 
thusiasm, they  were  no  match  for  men  who  were  willing  to 
give  their  lives  for  the  cause. 

The  Vendeans  were  far  better  armed  than  when  they 
commenced  the  struggle.  Then  the  proportion  of  men 
who  were  possessed  of  muskets  or  firearms  of  any  kind  was 
extremely  small ;  but  now,  thanks  to  the  immense  quantity 
which  had  been  captured  in  the  hands  of  prisoners,  thrown 
away  by  fugitives,  or  found  in  the  storehouses  of  the  towns, 
there  were  sufficient  to  supply  almost  every  man  of  the 
population  with  firearms,  and  in  addition,  they  possessed  a 
good  many  pieces  of  artillery.  Unfortunately  they  had 
learned  little  during  the  four  months'  fighting.  Their 
methods  were  unchanged ;  love  of  home  overpowered  all 
other  considerations  ;  and  after  a  victory,  as  after  a  defeat, 
they   hurried   away,  leaving   with   their  generals    only   the 


A   SERIES   OF  VICTORIES  221 

officers  and  a  small  body  of  men,  who  were  either  emigres 
who  had  returned  from  England  to  take  part  in  the  struggle, 
or  Royalists  who  had  made  their  way  from  distant  parts  of 
France  for  the  same  purpose. 

After  the  capture  of  Saumur,  too,  a  good  many  Swiss 
and  Germans,  belonging  to  a  cavalry  regiment  formed  of 
foreigners,  had  deserted  and  joined  the  Vend^ans.  Thus 
a  small  nucleus  of  an  army  held  together,  swelling  only 
when  the  church  bells  summoned  the  peasants  to  take 
up  arms  for  a  few  days.  But  while  the  Royalists  of  La 
Vendue  remained  quiescent  after  they  had  expelled  the 
invaders,  the  Republicans,  more  alarmed  than  ever,  were 
making  the  most  tremendous  efforts  to  stamp  out  the  in- 
surrection. 

Beysser,  who  had  commanded  at  Nantes,  was  appointed 
to  succeed  Menou.  Orders  were  given  that  the  forests  and 
hedges  of  La  Vendee  were  all  to  be  levelled,  the  crops 
destroyed,  the  cattle  seized,  and  the  goods  of  the  insurgents 
confiscated.  An  enormous  number  of  carts  were  collected 
to  carry  faggots,  tar,  and  other  combustibles  into  La  Vendue 
for  setting  fire  to  the  woods.  It  was  actually  proposed  to 
destroy  the  whole  male  population,  to  deport  the  women 
and  children,  and  to  repeople  La  Vendee  from  other  parts 
of  France,  from  which  immigrants  would  be  attracted  by 
offers  of  free  land  and  houses.  Santerre  suggested  that 
poisonous  gases  should  be  inclosed  in  suitable  vessels  and 
fired  into  the  district  to  poison  the  atmosphere.  Carrier, 
the  infamous  scoundrel  who  had  been  appointed  commis- 
sioner at  Nantes,  proposed  an  equally  villainous  scheme, 
namely,  that  great  quantities  of  bread,  mixed  with  arsenic, 
should  be  baked  and  scattered  broadcast  so  that  the 
starving  people  might  eat  it  and  be  destroyed  wholesale. 
This  would  have  been  carried  out  had  it  not  been  vigorously 


222  NO   SURRENDER 

opposed  by  General  Kleber,  who  had  now  taken  the  com- 
mand of  one  of  the  armies  of  the  invasion. 

The  rest  of  July  and  the  first  half  of  August  passed 
comparatively  quietly.  General  Toncq  advanced  with  a 
column  into  La  Vendee  and  fought  two  or  three  battles, 
in  which  he  generally  gained  successes  over  the  peasants ; 
but  with  this  exception,  no  forward  movement  was  made, 
and  the  majority  of  the  peasants  remained  undisturbed  in 
their  homes.  Soon,  however,  from  all  sides  the  flood  of 
invaders  poured  in. 

No  fewer  than  two  hundred  thousand  men  were  now 
under  the  orders  of  the  French  generals,  and  advanced  from 
different  directions,  in  all  cases  carrying  out  the  orders  of 
the  Convention,  to  devastate  the  country,  burn  down  the 
woods,  destroy  the  crops,  and  slay  the  inhabitants.  Five 
armies  moved  forward  simultaneously,  that  commanded  by 
Kleber  consisting  of  the  veteran  battalions  of  Mayence.  But 
everywhere  they  were  met.  Charette  had  marched  to  the 
aid  of  the  Vendeans  of  the  north,  and  the  country  was 
divided  into  four  districts  commanded  by  Charette,  Bon- 
champ,  Lescure,  and  La  Rochejaquelein.  Each  of  these 
strove  to  defend  his  own  district. 

The  war  now  assumed  a  terrible  aspect.  Maddened  by 
the  atrocities  perpetrated  upon  them,  the  peasants  no 
longer  gave  quarter  to  those  who  fell  into  their  hands,  and 
in  their  despair  performed  prodigies  of  valour. 

They  had  not  now,  as  at  the  commencement  of  the  war^ 
the  superiority  in  numbers.  Instead  of  fighting  generally 
four  to  one  against  the  Blues,  the  latter  now  exceeded 
them  in  the  same  proportion.  But  the  peasants  had 
changed  their  tactics.  Instead  of  rushing  impetuously  upon 
the  enemy's  lines,  and  hurling  themselves  upon  his  artil- 
lery, they  utilized   the   natural   features   of  their  country. 


A   SERIES   OF  VICrORIES  223 

As  the  Republican  columns  marched  along,  believing  that 
there  was  no  enemy  near,  they  would  hear  the  sound  of  a 
horn,  and  from  behind  every  hedge,  every  thicket,  every 
tree,  a  stream  of  musketry  would  break  out.  Very  soon  the 
column  would  fall  into  confusion,  the  lanes  would  be  blocked 
with  dead  horses  and  immovable  waggons.  In  vain  would 
the  soldiers  try  to  force  their  way  through  the  hedges  and 
to  return  the  fire  of  their  invisible  foes.  Then  as  suddenly 
as  the  attack  commenced  the  peasants  would  leap  from 
their  shelter,  and  with  knife  and  bayonet  carry  havoc 
among  their  enemies. 

These  tactics  prevailed  over  numbers,  even  when,  as  in 
the  case  of  Kleber's  division,  the  numbers  possessed  military 
discipline,  training,  and  high  reputation.  For  a  month 
fighting  was  almost  continuous,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time, 
to  the  stupefaction  of  the  Convention,  their  two  hundred 
thousand  troops  were  driven  out  of  La  Vendue  at  every 
point  by  a  fourth  of  that  number  of  undisciplined  peasants. 
Never,  perhaps,  in  the  history  of  military  warfare  did  en- 
thusiasm and  valour  accomplish  such  a  marvel. 

The  second  half  of  September  was  spent  by  the  peasants 
at  their  homes  rejoicing  and  returning  thanks  for  their 
success ;  but  already  a  heavy  blow  was  being  struck  at 
their  cause.  Charette,  hot-headed,  impetuous,  and  self- 
confident,  had  always  preferred  carrying  out  his  own  plans, 
without  regard  to  those  of  the  leaders  in  Upper  Vende'e, 
and  he  now  quarrelled  with  them  as  to  the  course  that  had 
best  be  pursued,  and  left  with  the  forces  that  he  had  brought 
with  him,  to  renew  the  war  in  the  south. 

But  although  the  peasants  rejoiced,  their  leaders  knew 
that  the  struggle  could  not  long  continue.  The  number  of 
fighting  men  — that  is  to  say,  of  the  whole  male  population  of 
La  Vendue  capable  of  bearing  arms  —  had  diminished  terribly ; 


224  NO   SURRENDER 

indeed,  the  number  that  originally  responded  to  the  summons 
of  the  church  bells  was  decreased  by  fully  a  half.  Food  was 
scarce;  owing  to  the  continued  absence  of  the  peasants  the 
harvest  had  in  many  places  not  been  garnered,  and  wherever 
the  Republican  troops  had  passed  the  destruction  had  been 
complete.  A  large  portion  of  the  population  were  home- 
less. The  very  movements  of  the  Vend^ans  were  hampered 
by  the  crowds  of  women  and  children  who,  with  the  few 
belongings  that  they  had  saved  packed  in  their  little  carts, 
wandered  almost  aimlessly  through  the  country.  Many  of 
the  towns  were  in  ruins,  and  deserted ;  in  all  save  a  few 
secluded  spots  as  yet  unvisited  by  the  Republicans,  want 
and  misery  were  universal. 

There  was  no  thought  of  surrender,  but  among  chiefs 
and  peasants  alike  the  idea  that  as  a  last  resource  it  would 
be  necessary  to  abandon  La  Vendue  altogether,  and  to  take 
refuge  in  Brittany,  where  the  vast  majority  of  the  popu- 
lation were  favourable  to  them,  gradually  gained  ground. 

Generals  Beysser,  Canclaux,  and  Dubayet  were  recalled 
by  the  Convention  for  their  failure  to  obtain  success,  and 
I'Echelle  was  appointed  to  the  command,  having  Kleber 
and  Westermann  as  leaders  of  his  principal  divisions.  Jean 
Martin  and  Leigh  had  joined  their  friends  in  their  retreat 
in  the  forest  after  the  repulse  of  all  the  Republican 
columns.  They  had  heard,  while  engaged  in  the  thick  of 
the  fighting,  of  the  death  of  Monsieur  Martin.  He  had 
never  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his  imprisonment  at 
Nantes,  and  instead  of  gaining  strength  he  had  become 
weaker  and  weaker.  The  terrible  uncertainty  of  the 
position,  the  news  that  constantly  arrived  of  desperate 
battles,  and  the  conviction  that  in  the  end  the  Vendeans 
would  be  crushed,  told  heavily  upon  him.  He  took  to  his 
bed  and  sank  gradually. 


A   SERIES   OF   VICTORIES  225 

"I  am  not  sorry,  my  child,"  he  said  to  Patsey  the  day 
before  he  died,  "  that  I  am  going  to  leave  you.  I  was 
wrong  in  not  taking  Jean's  advice  and  sailing  for  England 
with  my  wife  and  daughter.  However,  it  is  useless  to 
think  of  that  now.  I  can  see  terrible  times  in  store  for  all 
here.  It  is  evident  that  no  mercy  is  to  be  shown  to  the 
Vend^ans.  It  has  been  decreed  by  the  Convention  that 
they  are  to  be  hunted  down  like  wild  beasts.  Had  I  lived, 
I  should  have  been  a  terrible  burden  to  you ;  I  should  have 
hampered  your  movements  and  destroyed  any  chance  v^^hat- 
ever  that  you  might  have  of  escaping  from  these  fiends.  It 
would  have  been  impossible  for  me  to  have  supported  the 
fatigues  and  hardships  of  a  flight,  and  I  should  have  been 
the  means  of  bringing  destruction  on  you  all ;  it  is  there- 
fore better  in  every  respect  that  I  should  go.  I  pray  that 
Heaven  will  protect  you  and  Jean  and  your  brave  brother, 
and  enable  you  to  reach  England  in  safety.  You  will  bear 
my  last  message  to  my  wife  and  Louise.  You  will  tell 
them  that  my  last  thought  was  of  them,  my  last  feeling  one 
of  gratitude  to  God  that  they  are  in  safety,  and  that  I  have 
been  permitted  to  die  in  peace  and  quiet." 

"  It  is  a  sad  home-coming  this  time,  Jean,"  Patsey  said, 
as  her  husband  and  Leigh  rode  up  to  the  door. 

**  It  is  indeed,  Patsey ;  and  yet,  even  when  the  news  came 
to  me  I  could  scarcely  grieve  that  it  was  so.  I  had  seen 
how  he  was  fading  when  I  went  away,  and  was  noi: 
surprised  when  I  heard  that  he  had  gone.  For  me  it  is 
one  care,  one  anxiety,  the  less  in  future.  Patsey,  we  will 
be  together ;  I  cannot  leave  you  here  when  Leigh  and  I  are 
away.  The  child  shall  go  with  us,  and,  when  all  is  lost,  we 
will  escape  or  die  together." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,  Jean.  It  has  been 
terrible  waiting  here  and  knowing  that  you  were  in  the 

IS 


226  NO   SURRENDER 

midst  of  dangers,  and  that  even  while  I  thought  of  you  you 
might  be  lying  dead.  I  shall  be  glad  indeed  to  share  your 
fate,  whatever  it  is/' 

For  three  weeks  the  little  party  lived  quietly  in  the 
cottage.  There  were  many  discussions  as  to  the  future. 
It  was  agreed  that,  in  case  of  a  final  reverse,  it  would  be 
better  that  they  should  travel  alone. 

"The  more  of  us  there  are  the  more  certain  to  attract 
observation,"  Jean  said.  *'VVe  must  go  without  Francois 
and  Marthe ;  their  chance  of  safety  will  be  greater  if  they 
either  return  to  their  villages  or  take  up  their  abode  with 
the  family  of  some  woodman,  —  or  rather,  Marthe's  safety 
would  be  greater.  As  to  Francois,  he  has  long  been  eager 
to  join  in  the  fighting,  and  it  is  only  his  fidelity  that  has 
constrained  him  to  remain  in  what  he  considers  is  a  dis- 
graceful position,  when  every  other  man  who  can  bear 
arms  is  fighting.  We  will  therefore  take  him  with  us,  and 
when  the  day  of  battle  comes  he  will  join  the  fighting 
men,  and,  if  we  are  defeated,  must  care  for  his  own  safety. 
When  we  fight,  I  shall  always  leave  you  at  a  village  a  mile 
or  two  away.  You  will  have  the  horse  ready  to  mount, 
and  we  shall  join  you  at  once  if  we  are  defeated." 

"We  ought  to  be  disguised,  Jean,"  Leigh  said. 

"  It  would  be  well,"  Jean  said,  *'  but  I  hardly  see  what 
disguise  would  be  of  use  to  us ;  certainly  not  that  of 
peasants,  for  in  that  dress  we  should  be  shot  down  with- 
out question  by  the  first  party  of  Blues  we  came  across. 
Even  if  we  succeed  in  reaching  the  river  and  crossing  it, 
we  may  be  sure  that  the  authorities  will  be  everywhere 
on  the  look-out  for  fugitive  peasants.  It  would  be  better 
to  be  shot  at  once  than  to  await  in  prison  death  by  the 
guillotine." 

"I  should  say  that  it  does  not  matter  a  bit  how  we  are 


A   SERIES   OF   VICTORIES  227 

dressed  till  we  reach  the  river.  We  know  now  pretty  nearly 
every  lane  in  the  country,"  Leigh  said,  "and  I  should  think 
that  we  ought  to  be  able  to  reach  the  Loire." 

"That  is  where  the  difficulty  will  begin.  In  the  first 
place  there  will  be  the  trouble  of  crossing,  and  then  that  of 
making  our  way  through  the  country.  Certainly  we  could 
not  do  so  as  Vendean  peasants." 

"I  should  say,  Jean,  that  the  best  disguises  would  be 
those  of  fairly  well-to-do  town's-people,  something  like  those 
we  wore  into  Nantes,  but  rather  less  formal,  —  the  sort  of 
thing  that  ordinary  tradesmen  without  any  strong  political 
feeling  either  way  would  wear.  I  don't  say  that  we  shall 
not  be  suspected  however  we  are  dressed,  because  no  one 
in  his  senses  would  be  travelling  about  just  at  present ;  but 
when  once  we  get  beyond  Tours,  if  we  go  that  way,  we 
might  pass  without  much  notice." 

"Which  way  do  you  think  that  we  ought  to  go,  Jean?" 

Jean  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "I  don't  see  that  there  is 
any  choice.  There  would  be  very  little  chance  of  escaping 
from  any  of  the  ports  of  Brittany,  and  La  Rochelle  would 
be  still  more  hopeless.  As  far  south  as  Bordeaux  we  should 
be  in  a  comparatively  peaceful  country,  and  I  should  hope 
to  find  friends  there.  The  eastern  frontier  is  of  course  the 
safest  to  cross,  but  the  distance  is  very  great,  and  in  the 
towns  near  the  border  a  very  sharp  look-out  is  kept  to 
prevent  ^nigres  escaping.  There  is  a  rumour  that  Lyons 
has  declared  against  the  Convention,  but  if  we  got  there 
it  is  certain  that  it  would  be  but  La  Vendee  over  again. 
Lyons  cannot  resist  all  France,  and  as  soon  as  they  have 
done  with  us  here  they  will  be  able  to  send  any  number  of 
troops  to  stamp  out  these  risings.  Undoubtedly,  if  we  could 
get  there,  Toulon  would  be  the  best  place.  I  have  heard 
for  certain  that  they  have  driven  out  the  extreme  party,  and 


228  NO   SURRENDER 

have  admitted  the  English  fleet.  Once  there,  we  should  be 
able  to  take  berths  in  a  ship  bound  somewhere  abroad,  it 
matters  Httle  where,  and  thence  get  a  passage  to  England. 
Most  probably  we  shall  be  able  to  arrange  to  go  direct  from 
Toulon,  for  there  are  sure  to  be  vessels  coming  and  going 
with  stores  for  the  British  fleet." 

"But  that  would  be  a  terrible  journey,  Jean,"  his  wife  said. 

"Yes,  I  think  that  would  be  quite  out  of  the  question. 
It  seems  to  me  that  our  best  chance  would  be  either  to  cross 
the  Loire  and  then  make  for  Le  Mans,  and  so  up  through 
Alengon  to  Honfleur  —  that  way  we  should  be  east  of  the 
disturbed  district;  or,  if  we  found  that  a  vast  number  of 
fugitives  had  made  their  way  into  Brittany,  as  is  almost  cer- 
tain to  be  the  case,  we  might  bear  more  to  the  east,  and  go 
up  through  Vendome  and  Chartres  and  Evreux,  and  then 
branch  off"  and  strike  the  Seine  near  Honfleur.  In  that 
case  we  should  be  outside  the  district  where  they  would  be 
searching  for  fugitives  from  here.  Once  on  the  sea-shore, 
or  on  the  Seine,  it  would  be  hard  if  we  could  not  steal  a 
fishing-boat  and  cross  the  Channel.  However,  one  must  of 
course  be  guided  by  circumstances.  Still,  I  do  think  that 
it  would  be  as  well  to  buy  the  disguises  Leigh  suggests  with- 
out loss  of  time.  I  will  ride  over  to  Chatillon  to-morrow 
and  get  them." 


CHACTER   XIII 

ACROSS  THE   LOIRE 

MARTHE  was  filled  with  grief  when  she  heard  that  it 
had  been  decided  that  it  was  better  that  she  should 
return  to  her  native  village,  but  her  mistress  pointed  out  to 


ACROSS   THE   LOIRE  229 

her  that  if  all  went  well  she  could  rejoin  them.  If  things 
went  badly,  and  they  escaped,  they  would  send  for  her 
wherever  they  might  be  ;  but,  in  case  disaster  compelled 
them  to  fl}',  three  persons  were  as  many  as  could  hope  to 
travel  together  without  exciting  suspicion.  The  nurse,  how- 
ever, begged  that  at  any  rate  she  might  go  with  them  to  the 
head-quarters  of  the  army. 

"  Everyone  is  going,"  she  said  ;  "  and  they  say  that  if  we 
are  beaten  in  the  next  battle  they  will  cross  the  Loire  and 
take  refuge  in  Brittany,  for  the  Blues  will  not  leave  a  soul 
alive  in  La  Vendee.  I  should  have  nowhere  to  go  to  here, 
and  will  keep  with  the  others  whatever  happens.  If  you 
are  with  them,  madame,  I  can  rejoin  you ;  if  not,  I  hope  to 
be  with  you  afterward." 

It  was  indeed  an  exodus  rather  than  the  gathering  of  an 
army  that  was  taking  place.  The  atrocities  committed  by 
the  invaders,  the  destruction  of  every  village,  the  clouds  of 
smoke  which  ascended  from  the  burning  woods,  created  so 
terrible  a  scare  among  the  peasants  that  the  greater  portion 
of  the  villages  and  farms  were  entirely  deserted,  and  every 
road  leading  to  Chollet,  which  was  the  rendezvous  where 
the  fighting  men  were  ordered  to  gather,  was  crowded 
with  fugitives.  Francois  walked  by  the  horse's  head. 
Patsey,  the  nurse,  and  the  child,  with  a  trunk  containing 
articles  of  absolute  necessity,  occupied  the  cart.  Jean  and 
Leigh  rode  ahead.  The  company  of  Cathelineau's  scouts  no 
longer  existed,  more  than  half  of  them  had  fallen  in  the  late 
battles,  their  services  were  no  longer  required  as  scouts,  and 
the  survivors  had  joined  their  fathers  and  brothers  and 
formed  part  of  the  command  of  Bonchamp. 

On  the  fourteenth  of  October  the  enemy's  columns  were 
closing  in  upon  Chollet.  Those  round  Mortagne  were 
marching  forward,  when  the  advanced  guard  under  General 


230  NO   SURRENDER 

Beaupuy  were  suddenly  attacked  by  the  Vend^ans  while 
entangled  in  the  lanes.  The  head  of  the  column  fought 
well,  but  those  in  the  rear,  finding  themselves  also  attacked, 
and  fearing  that  the  retreat  would  be  cut  off,  retired  hastily 
to  Mortagne.  The  column  would  have  been  destroyed  had 
not  Beaupuy  promptly  sent  up  large  reinforcements.  After 
a  long  and  obstinate  fight  the  Vendeans  were  driven  from 
the  woods,  and,  the  Republican  artillery  opening  upon  them, 
they  were  compelled  to  retire  to  Chollet.  Here  no  halt  was 
made.  Kleber  had  also  been  fiercely  attacked,  but  had  also, 
though  with  much  difficulty,  repulsed  his  assailants.  The 
next  morning  the  Republicans  entered  Chollet,  which  they 
found  deserted  by  the  enemy.  On  the  seventeenth,  their 
whole  force  being  now  concentrated  there,  they  were  about 
to  move  forward  towards  Beaupreau  when  the  advanced 
guard  was  hotly  attacked,  and  in  a  short  time  the  combat 
became  general. 

For  a  time  the  Vendeans  bore  down  all  opposition,  but 
as  the  whole  of  the  Republican  force  came  into  action  their 
advance  was  arrested.  The  battle  began  soon  after  one 
o'clock,  it  raged  without  intermission  till  nightfall.  No 
decisive  advantage  had  been  gained  on  either  side,  and  the 
result  was  still  doubtful  when  a  panic  took  place  among  the 
multitude  of  non-combatants  in  the  rear  of  the  Vendeans ; 
the  cry  was  raised,  "  To  the  Loire  !  "  The  panic  spread.  In 
vain  the  leaders  and  their  officers  galloped  backwards  and 
forwards  endeavouring  to  restore  confidence,  and  shouted  to 
the  men  that  victory  was  still  in  their  grasp.  In  the  dark- 
ness and  din  they  could  only  be  heard  by  those  immediately 
round  them,  and  even  these  they  failed  to  reanimate,  and  the 
men  who  had  for  seven  hours  fought,  as  Kleber  himself 
reported,  hke  tigers,  lost  heart. 

Lescure  had  fallen  in  the  fighting  on  the  fourteenth,  Bon- 


ACROSS  THE   LOIRE 


231 


champ  and  d'Elbee  were  both  desperately  wounded  at  the 
battle  at  Chollet,  and  were  carried  off  by  their  men.  La 
Rochejaquelein,  with  whom  Jean  Martin  and  Leigh  were 
riding,  had  made  almost  superhuman  efforts  to  check  the 
panic,  and  they  fell  back  almost  broken-hearted  with  a  band 
of  peasants,  who  held  together  to  the  last.  On  the  previous 
day  Leigh  had  escorted  Patsey  to  Beaupr^au,  and  it  was  to 
this  town  that  the  fugitives  made  their  way,  arriving  there 
at  midnight. 

"  Thank  God  that  you  are  both  alive  !  "  Patsey  said,  burst- 
ing into  tears  as  her  husband  entered  the  room  in  which 
she  was  established. 

"We  can  hardly  believe  it  ourselves,"  Jean  said.  "It 
has  been  a  terrible  day  indeed.  Our  men  fought  nobly, 
and  I  firmly  believe  that  we  should  have  won  the  day  had 
not  an  unaccountable  panic  set  in.  What  caused  it  I  know 
not.  We  were  doing  well  everywhere,  and  had  begun  to 
drive  them  back,  and  could  we  have  fought  on  for  another 
half-hour  it  was  likely  that,  as  usual,  a  panic  would  have 
seized  them.  However,  Patsey,  they  would  have  gathered 
again  stronger  than  ever,  and  it  must  have  come  to  the 
same  thing  in  the  long  run.  Now  put  on  your  disguise 
at  once.  We  will  lie  down  for  two  hours,  and  see  you  off 
before  daybreak.  I  do  not  know  whether  la  Rochejaquelein, 
who  must  now  be  considered  in  command  since  d'Elbee  and 
Bonchamp  are  both  desperately  wounded,  will  gather  a  force 
to  act  as  a  rear-guard.  If  so  we  must  stay  with  him,  but 
I  do  not  think  that  even  his  influence  would  suffice  to  hold 
any  considerable  body  of  peasants  together.  All  have  con- 
vinced themselves  that  there  is  safety  in  Brittany.  At  any 
rate,  the  enemy  will  need  a  day^s  rest  before  they  pursue. 
They  must  have  suffered  quite  as  heavily  as  we  have." 

The  night,  however,  was  not  to  pass  quietly.    At  two 


232  NO   SURRENDER 

o'clock  two  officers  who  had  remained  as  piquets  rode 
into  the  town  with  news  that  Westermann's  division, 
which  had  marched  through  Moulet  and  had  taken  no  part 
in  the  action,  was  approaching.  The  horn  sounded  the 
alarm,  and  the  fugitives  started  up  and  renewed  their 
flight.  Marthe  could  not  be  left  behind  now,  nor  did 
the  others  desire  it,  and  until  they  had  crossed  the 
Loire  there  could  be  no  separation,  for  the  whole  country 
would  swarm  in  forty-eight  hours  with  parties  of  the 
enemy  hunting  down  and  slaying  those  who  had  taken 
refuge  in  the  woods.  Jean  and  Leigh  had  lain  down  in 
the  cart  to  prevent  any  of  the  fugitives  seizing  it.  The 
two  women  and  the  child  were  hurried  down,  and  took 
their  places  in  it.  Francois,  who  had  escaped,  had  for- 
tunately found  them,  and  took  the  reins,  and  the  journey 
was  continued.  There  was  no  pursuit;  it  was  only  a 
portion  of  Westermann's  force  that  had  arrived,  and  these 
were  so  exhausted  and  worn  out  by  the  length  of  their 
march  and  by  the  fact  that  they  had  been  unable  to  obtain 
food  by  the  way,  that  they  threw  themselves  down  when 
they  reached  the  town,  incapable  of  marching  a  mile  farther. 
At  Beaupreau  there  had  been  no  fewer  than  five  thousand 
Republican  prisoners  kept  under  guard.  On  the  arrival  of 
the  routed  Vend^ans,  the  peasants,  as  a  last  act  of  retalia- 
tion, would  have  slain  them,  but  Bonchamp,  who  was  at 
the  point  of  death,  ordered  them  to  be  set  free. 

*'  It  is  the  last  order  that  I  shall  ever  give,"  he  said  to 
the  peasants  assembled  round  his  litter.  "  Surely  you  will 
not  disobey  me,  my  children." 

The  order  was  obeyed,  and  the  prisoners  were  at  once  sent 
off;  and  as  the  Republican  column  marched  out  from  ChoUet 
the  next  day  they  encountered  on  the  road  their  liberated 
comrades.     The  sentiments  with  which  the   commissioners 


ACROSS  THE   LOIRE  233 

of  the  Convention  were  animated  is  evidenced  by  the  fact 
that  one  of  them  declared  in  a  letter  to  the  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  army  that  the  release  of  these  prisoners  by  the 
Venddans  was  a  regrettable  affair,  and  recommended  that  no 
mention  whatever  should  be  made  of  it  in  the  despatches  to 
Paris,  lest  this  act  of  mercy  by  the  insurgents  should  arouse 
public  opinion  to  insist  upon  a  cessation  of  the  measures  that 
had  been  taken  for  the  annihilation  of  the  Vend^ans. 

The  fugitives,  a  vast  crowd  of  over  one  hundred  thousand 
men,  women,  and  children,  reached  St.  Florent  without 
coming  in  contact  with  the  enemy. 

The  Republican  generals,  indeed,  had  no  idea  that  the 
peasants  had  any  intention  of  quitting  their  beloved 
country,  and  imagined  that  they  would  disperse  to  their 
homes  again,  and  that  there  remained  only  the  task  of 
hunting  them  down.  A  company  had  been  left  on  a  hill 
which  commanded  St.  Florent,  but  they  had  no  idea  of  being 
attacked,  and  had  not  even  taken  the  precaution  of  re- 
moving the  boats  across  the  river.  As  soon  as  they  arrived, 
the  Vendeans  attacked  the  post  with  fury  and  captured  it. 
Twenty  boats  were  found,  and  the  crossing  was  effected 
with  no  little  difficulty.  There  were  still  two  or  three 
thousand,  principally  women  and  children,  to  be  taken  over 
when  a  party  of  Republican  dragoons  arrived.  Numbers 
of  the  women  and  children  were  massacred,  but  the  great 
bulk,  flying  precipitately,  regained  the  country  beyond  the 
heights  of  St.  Florent,  and  took  refuge  in  the  woods. 

The  multitude  were  for  the  present  safe.  There  was  no 
strong  force  of  the  enemy  between  Nantes  and  Saumur,  and 
they  halted  for  the  night,  dispirited,  worn  out,  and  filled 
with  grief.  They  had  left  their  homes  and  all  they  cared 
for  behind.  They  were  in  a  strange  country  without  aim 
or  purpose,  their  only  hope  being  that  the  Bretons  would 


234  NO   SURRENDER 

rise  and  join  them  —  a  poor  hope,  since  the  terrible  vengeance 
that  had  been  taken  on  La  Vendee  could  not  but  strike 
terror  throughout  Brittany  also. 

Jean  Martin  and  Leigh  had  seen  Patsey  and  the  nurse 
placed  in  one  of  the  first  boats  that  crossed. 

"  Do  not  go  far  from  the  spot  where  you  land,"  they 
said.  "  We  shall  stay  here  until  all  is  over.  If  the  Blues 
come  up  before  all  have  crossed,  we  shall  swim  across  with 
our  horses ;  be  under  no  uneasiness  about  us." 

Taking  the  horse  out  of  the  shafts  of  the  cart  and  putting 
a  saddle  that  they  had  brought  with  them  on  its  back,  they 
left  the  three  animals  in  charge  of  Francois,  and  then  aided 
other  officers  to  keep  order  among  the  crowd,  and  to  pre- 
vent them  from  pressing  into  the  boats  as  they  returned 
from  the  other  bank  in  such  numbers  as  to  sink  them.  All 
day  the  work  went  on  quietly  and  regularly,  until  so  com- 
paratively few  remained  that  hope  became  strong  that 
all  would  cross  before  any  of  the  enemy  arrived.  That 
hope  was  destroyed  when  suddenly  the  enemy's  cavalry 
appeared  at  the  edge  of  the  slope  and  came  galloping  down. 
The  officers  in  vain  tried  to  get  the  few  men  that  remained 
to  make  a  stand.  They  were  too  dispirited  to  attempt  to 
do  so,  and  the  little  throng  broke  up  and  fled,  some  one 
way,  some  another. 

Fortunately  an  empty  boat  had  just  returned,  and  into 
this  the  other  officers  leapt,  while  Jean,  with  his  two  com- 
panions, led  the  horses  into  the  water.  They  had  already 
linked  the  reins.  Frangois  was  unable  to  swim,  but  at 
Jean's  order  he  took  hold  of  the  tail  of  the  horse  in  the 
middle,  while  Jean  and  Leigh  swam  by  the  heads  of  the  two 
outside  horses,  and  without  difficulty  the  other  side  was 
gained.  Patsey,  who  had  had  her  eye  fixed  upon  them  all 
day,  was  standing  at  the   spot  where  they  landed.     They 


ACROSS   THE   LOIRE  235 

were  near  the  town  of  Ancenis,  and  a  portion  of  the 
Vendeans  entered  the  place,  which  was  wholly  undefended. 
The  inhabitants  were  in  abject  terror,  thinking  that  the 
town  would  be  sacked,  and  were  surprised  to  find  that  the 
peasants  did  no  one  any  harm,  and  were  ready  to  pay  for 
anything  that  they  required.  So  long,  indeed,  as  any 
money  whatever  remained  the  Vende'ans  paid  scrupulously. 
When  it  was  all  expended  the  chiefs  did  the  only  thing  in 
their  power,  issuing  notes  promising  to  pay;  and  although 
these  had  no  value  save  in  the  good  faith  of  the  Vendeans, 
they  were  received  by  the  Bretons  as  readily  as  the  assi- 
gnats  of  the  Republic,  which,  indeed,  like  the  notes  of  the 
Vende'ans,  were  never  destined  to  be  paid. 

Had  the  army  plunged  into  Brittany  after  the  capture  of 
Saumur  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  peasantry  would 
everywhere  have  risen ;  but  coming  as  fugitives  and  exiles 
they  were  a  warning  rather  than  a  source  of  enthusiasm, 
and  although  small  numbers  of  peasants  joined  them,  the 
accession  of  force  was  very  trifling.  Jean  Martin,  his  wife, 
and  Leigh  held  an  anxious  consultation  that  evening.  They 
had  found  a  poor  lodging,  after  attending  a  meeting  of 
the  leaders,  at  which  la  Rochejaquelein  had  been  unani- 
mously elected  commander-in-chief,  Bonchamp  having  died, 
while  d'Elbee,  wounded  to  death,  had  been  left  at  the  cottage 
of  a  Breton  peasant,  who  promised  to  conceal  him. 

The  young  soldier  had  accepted  the  fearful  responsibility 
with  the  greatest  reluctance.  He,  and  those  around  him, 
saw  plainly  enough  that  the  only  hope  of  escape  from  anni- 
hilation was  the  landing  of  a  British  force  to  their  assis- 
tance. Unhappily,  however,  England  had  not  as  yet  awoke 
to  the  tremendous  nature  of  the  struggle  that  was  going 
on.  Her  army  was  a  small  one,  and  her  fleet,  as  yet,  had 
not  attained  the  dimensions  that  were  before  many  years 


236  NO   SURRENDER 

to  render  her  the  unquestioned  mistress  of  the  seas.  The 
feeling  that  the  Revolution  was  the  fruit  of  centuries  of  op- 
pression, and  that,  terrible  as  were  the  excesses  committed 
in  the  name  of  liberty,  the  cause  of  the  Revolution  was  still 
the  cause  of  the  peoples  of  Europe,  had  created  a  party 
sufficiently  powerful  to  hamper  the  ministry.  Moreover, 
the  government  was  badly  informed  in  every  respect  by  its 
agents  in  France,  and  had  no  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  rising 
in  La  Vendee,  or  how  nobly  the  people  there  had  been  de- 
fending themselves  against  the  whole  force  of  France. 

It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  had  England,  at  this  time, 
landed  twenty  thousand  troops  in  Brittany  or  La  Vendue, 
the  whole  course  of  events  in  Europe  would  have  been 
changed,  the  French  Revolution  would  have  been  crushed 
before  it  became  formidable  to  Europe,  and  countless  mil- 
lions of  money  and  millions  of  lives  would  have  been  saved. 
Throughout  France  there  was  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
population  who  would  have  rejoiced  in  the  overthrow  of 
the  Republic,  for  even  in  the  large  towns  its  crimes  had 
provoked  reaction.  Toulon  had  opened  its  gates  to  the 
English.  Lyons  was  in  arms  against  the  Republic.  Nor- 
mandy*s  discontent  was  general,  and  its  peasantry  would 
have  joined  those  of  Brittany  and  La  Vendee  had  there  been 
but  a  fair  prospect  of  success.  England,  however,  did  noth- 
ing, but  stood  passive  until  the  peasantry  of  La  Vendee  were 
all  but  exterminated;  and,  indeed,  added  to  their  mis- 
fortunes by  promising  aid  that  never  was  sent,  and  thus 
encouraging  them  to  maintain  a  resistance  that  added  to 
the  exasperation  of  their  enemies,  and  to  their  own  mis- 
fortunes and  sufferings. 

"  What  are  we  going  to  do  ?  ^^  Patsey  asked,  as  her  hus- 
band and  Leigh  returned  from  the  meeting. 

"  That  is  more  than  anyone  can  say,"  Jean  replied.    "  We 


ACROSS   THE    LOIRE  237 

shall  for  the  present  move  north;  we  are  like  a  flight  of 
locusts,  we  must  move  since  we  must  eat,  and  no  district 
could  furnish  subsistence  for  eighty  thousand  people  for 
more  than  a  day  or  two.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
impulse  to  cross  the  Loire  was  a  mad  one.  On  the  other 
side  we  at  least  knew  the  country,  and  it  would  have  been 
far  better  to  have  died  fighting  there  than  to  throw  our- 
selves across  the  river.  It  was  well-nigh  a  miracle  that  we 
got  across,  and  it  will  need  nothing  short  of  a  miracle  to 
get  us  back  again.  Of  one  thing  we  may  be  sure,  the  whole 
host  of  our  enemies  will  by  this  time  be  in  movement.  We 
should  never  have  got  across  had  they  dreamed  that  such 
was  our  intention.  Now  that  we  have  done  it,  you  may  be 
sure  that  they  will  strain  every  effort  to  prevent  us  from 
returning.  Probably  by  this  time  half  their  forces  are  march- 
ing to  cross  at  Nantes,  the  other  half  are  pressing  on 
to  Saumur.  In  three  or  four  days  they  will  be  united 
again,  and  will  be  between  us  and  the  river.  Were  we  a 
smaller  body,  were  we  only  men,  I  should  say  that  we 
ought  to  march  another  twenty  miles  north,  then  sweep 
round  either  east  or  west,  and  while  the  enemy  followed 
the  north  bank  of  the  river  to  effect  a  junction,  we  should 
march  all  night  without  a  halt,  pass  them,  and  hurl  our- 
selves either  upon  Saumur  or  Nantes,  and  so  return  to  La 
Vendue.  But  with  such  a  host  as  this  there  would  be  little 
hope  of  success.  I  fancy  that  we  shall  march  to  Laval,  and 
there  halt  for  a  day  or  two.  By  that  time  the  whole  force 
of  the  enemy  will  have  come  up,  and  there  will  be  another 
battle." 

"  And  we,  Jean  ?  " 

"  I  see  nothing  but  for  us  to  march  with  them.  We 
know  nothing  of  the  movements  of  the  enemy,  and  were 
we  to  try  to  make  our  way  across  the  country  we  might 


238  NO   SURRENDER 

run  into  their  arms.  Besides,  Leigh  and  I  have  both 
agreed  that,  at  present  at  least,  we  cannot  leave  Roche- 
jaquelein.'^ 

"  We  could  not  indeed,  Patsey,"  Leigh  broke  in.  "  If 
you  had  seen  him  this  evening  when,  with  tears  in  his  eyes, 
he  accepted  our  choice  you  would  feel  as  we  do.  It  was 
all  very  well  for  us  before  to  talk  of  making  off,  but  now 
that  the  worst  has  happened,  if  it  were  only  for  his  sake,  I 
should  stay  by  him,  though  I  think  that  Jean,  with  the 
responsibility  of  you  and  your  child,  would  be  justified  in 
going." 

''No,"  Patsey  said  firmly,  "whatever  comes  we  will  stay 
together.  As  Jean  said,  you  cannot  desert  the  cause  now. 
As  long  as  there  are  battles  to  fight  we  must  stay  with  them, 
and  it  is  not  until  further  fighting  has  become  impossible 
that  we,  like  others,  must  endeavour  to  shift  for  ourselves." 

"  Well  spoken,  Patsey  ! "  her  husband  said.  "  That  must 
be  our  course.  So  long  as  the  Vend^ans  hang  together,  with 
Rochejaquelein  at  their  head,  we  must  remain  true  to  the 
cause  that  we  have  taken  up.  When  once  again  the  army 
becomes  a  mass  of  fugitives  we  can,  without  loss  of  honour 
and  a  clear  consciousness  that  we  have  done  our  duty  to  the 
end,  think  of  our  safety.  I  grant  that  if  one  could  find 
a  safe  asylum  for  you  and  our  Louis  in  the  cottage  of  some 
Breton  peasant  —  " 

''  No,  no  !  "  she  interrupted,  "  that  I  would  never  consent 
to.  We  will  remain  together,  Jean,  come  what  may.  If 
all  is  lost  I  will  ask  you  to  put  a  pistol  to  my  head.  I 
would  a  thousand  times  rather  die  so  than  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  Blues,  and  either  be  slaughtered  mercilessly  or  thrown 
into  one  of  their  prisons  to  linger  until  the  guillotine 
released  me." 

"  I  agree  with  you  in  that,  Patsey.    Well,  we  will  regard 


ACROSS  THE   LOIRE  239 

the  matter  as  settled.  As  long  as  the  army  hangs  together, 
so  long  will  we  remain  with  it ;  after  that  we  will  carry  out 
the  plans  we  talked  over,  and  make  for  the  coast  by  the 
way  which  seems  most  open  to  us." 

The  next  day  was  spent  by  Rochejaquelein  and  his  officers 
in  going  about  among  the  peasants.  They  did  not  disguise 
from  these  the  extreme  peril  of  the  position,  but  they  pointed 
out  that  it  was  only  by  holding  together,  and  by  defeating 
the  Blues  whenever  they  attacked  them,  that  they  could  hope 
for  safety. 

"  It  was  difficult  to  cross  the  Loire  before,"  they  said ; 
"it  will  be  tenfold  more  difficult  now.  Every  boat  will 
have  been  taken  over  to  the  other  side,  and  you  may  be 
sure  that  strong  bodies  of  the  enemy  will  have  been  posted 
all  along  the  banks  to  prevent  our  returning.  You  have 
fought  well  before,  you  must  fight  even  better  in  future, 
for  there  is  no  retreat,  no  home  to  retire  to.  Your  lives, 
and  those  of  the  women  and  children  with  you,  depend 
upon  your  being  victorious.  You  have  beaten  the  Blues 
almost  every  time  that  you  have  met  them;  you  would 
have  beaten  them  last  time  had  not  a  sort  of  madness 
seized  you.  It  was  not  we  who  led  you  across  the  Loire ; 
you  have  chosen  to  come,  and  we  have  followed  you.  At 
any  rate,  it  is  better  to  die  fighting  for  God  and  country 
than  to  be  slaughtered  unresistingly  by  these  murderers. 

"You  saw  how  they  fell  upon  the  helpless  ones  who  were 
unable  to  cross  with  us,  how  they  murdered  women  and 
children,  although  there  was  no  resistance,  nothing  to  excite 
their  anger.  If  you  die,  you  die  as  martyrs  to  your  faith  and 
loyalty,  and  no  man  could  wish  for  a  better  death.  All  is 
not  lost  yet.  Defeat  the  Blues,  and  Brittany  may  yet  rise ; 
besides  we  are  promised  aid  from  England.  At  any  rate. 
La  Vendee  has  been  true  to  herself  through  over  six  months 


240  NO   SURRENDER 

of  terrible  struggle.  La  Vendee  may  perish.  Let  the  world 
see  that  she  has  been  true  to  herself  to  the  end." 

The  fugitive  priests  with  the  army  seconded  the  efforts 
of  the  officers,  and  by  nightfall  a  feeling  of  resolution  and 
hope  succeeded  the  depression  caused  by  the  terrible  events 
of  the  preceding  thirty-six  hours ;  and  it  was  with  an  air  of 
calmness  and  courage  that  the  march  was  recommenced  on 
the  following  morning. 

The  instant  that  it  became  known  that  the  Vend^ans  had 
crossed  the  Loire,  a  panic  seized  the  Republicans  at  Nantes, 
and  messengers  were  sent  to  implore  the  commander-in-chief 
to  march  with  all  haste  to  aid  them  should,  as  they  believed, 
the  Vendeans  be  marching  to  assail  the  town.  Kleber  with 
his  division  started  at  once,  followed  more  slowly  by  the  main 
body  of  the  army. 

Another  column  advanced  to  St.  Florent,  and,  obtaining 
boats,  crossed  the  river  and  entered  Angers,  to  the  immense 
relief  of  the  Republicans  there,  who  had  been  in  a  state  of 
abject  terror  at  the  presence,  so  near  them,  of  the  Ven- 
deans. Kleber  marched  with  great  rapidity,  passed  through 
Nantes  without  stopping,  and  established  himself  at  the 
camp  of  St.  Georges.  The  news  of  what  was  termed 
the  glorious  victory  at  Chollet,  although  in  point  of  fact 
the  Republicans  fell  back  after  the  battle  to  that  town, 
caused  the  greatest  enthusiasm  in  Paris,  and  the  Conven- 
tion and  the  Republican  authorities  issued  proclamations, 
which  were  unanimous  in  exhorting  the  army  to  pursue 
and  exterminate  the  Vendeans.  By  the  twenty-third,  the 
whole  of  the  French  army  was  in  readiness  to  march  in 
pursuit.  Kleber  was  still  in  the  camp  of  St.  Georges, 
Chalbos  was  at  Nantes  with  a  corps  d'arm^e,  Beaupuy  was 
at  Angers. 

The  Vendeans  had  marched  through  Cand^  and  Chateau- 


ACROSS   THE   LOIRE  241 

Gontier,  and  had  without  difficulty  driven  out  the  Repub- 
lican force  stationed  at  Laval.  L'Echelle,  the  commander- 
in-chief,  was  profoundly  ignorant,  supine,  and  cowardly,  and 
owed  his  position  solely  to  the  fact  that  he  belonged  to  the 
lower  class,  and  was  not,  like  Biron  and  the  other  com- 
manders-in-chief, of  good  family.  Remaining  always  at  a 
distance  from  the  scene  of  operations,  he  confused  the  gen- 
erals of  divisions  by  contradictory  orders,  which  vied  with 
each  other  in  their  folly.  On  the  twenty- fourth,  Kleber 
marched  to  Ancenis,  and  on  the  following  day  he,  Beaupuy, 
and  Westermann  arrived  at  Chateau-Gontier.  Canuel's  di- 
vision from  St.  Florent  had  not  yet  come  up.  The  troops 
were  already  tired,  but  Westermann,  who,  as  Kleber  in  his 
report  said,  was  always  anxious  to  gain  glory  and  bring  him- 
self into  prominence,  insisted  on  pushing  forward  at  once, 
and  prevailed  over  the  more  prudent  counsel  of  the  others, 
as  he  was  the  senior  officer. 

When  they  approached  Laval,  Westermann  sent  a  troop 
of  cavalry  forward  to  reconnoitre.  He  was  not  long  before 
he  came  upon  some  Vendean  outposts.  These  he  charged 
and  drove  in  towards  the  town.  No  sooner  did  they  arrive 
there  than  the  bells  of  the  churches  pealed  out.  It  was 
now  midnight,  but  before  the  army  could  form  into  order 
the  Vend^ans  poured  out  upon  them,  guided  by  the  shouts 
of  the  Republican  officers,  who  were  endeavouring  to  get 
their  troops  into  order.  The  combat  was  desperate  and 
sanguinary ;  the  peasants,  fighting  with  the  fury  of  despair, 
threw  themselves  recklessly  upon  the  Republican  troops, 
whose  cannon  were  not  yet  in  a  position  to  come  into  ac- 
tion, and  whose  infantry,  in  the  darkness,  fired  at  random. 
Fighting  in  the  dark,  discipline  availed  but  little.  Kleber's 
veterans,  however,  preserved  their  coolness,  and  for  a  time 
the  issue  was  doubtful. 

i6 


242  NO   SURRENDER 

Had  Westermann's  cavalry  done  their  duty  victory  might 
still  have  inclined  towards  them,  but  instead  of  charging 
when  ordered,  they  turned  tail,  and,  riding  through  a 
portion  of  their  infantry,  spread  disorder  among  them. 
Westermann,  seeing  that  it  was  hopeless  to  endeavour  to 
retrieve  the  confusion,  ordered  a  retreat,  and  the  army  fell 
back  to  Ch^teau-Gontier,  where  they  arrived  in  the  course 
of  the  day.  Here  they  found  the  commander-in-chief,  who, 
disregarding  the  exhausting  march  the  troops  had  already 
accomplished,  and  their  loss  of  spirit  after  their  defeat, 
ordered  them  to  return  to  Villiers,  half-way  to  Laval.  It 
was  nightfall  when  they  reached  this  place,  but  Wester- 
mann pushed  the  advanced  guard  some  two  leagues  farther. 
Kleber,  seeing  the  extreme  danger  of  the  position,  refused 
to  advance  beyond  Villiers,  and  sent  orders  to  Danican,  who 
commanded  the  advanced  guard,  to  fall  back  to  a  strong 
position  in  advance  of  Villiers. 

Danican  had  taken  command  only  on  the  previous  day, 
and  the  soldiers,  believing  that  this  order  was  but  an  act  of 
arbitrary  authority  on  his  part,  refused  to  move,  and  the 
bridge  over  the  river  Ouette,  in  front  of  Villiers,  remained 
unguarded  save  by  a  squadron  of  cavalry.  Kleber  had  just 
returned  from  visiting  the  post,  when  he  received  a  de- 
spatch from  I'Echelle,  bidding  him  give  the  order  they  had 
decided  upon  between  them  to  the  other  two  divisions. 
As  no  such  arrangement  had  been  made,  Kleber  was  in 
ignorance  of  what  was  meant,  but  he  sent  a  messenger  to 
Beaupuy,  who  was  at  Chateau-Gontier,  and  to  Bloss,  who 
commanded  a  column  of  grenadiers,  to  join  him  as  soon  as 
possible.  Bloss  arrived  early  the  next  morning  at  the  camp. 
Beaupuy  moved  forward,  but  as  his  whole  force  had  not  yet 
come  up,  he  did  not  arrive  at  the  camp  at  the  same  time. 

At  eleven  that  night  I'Echelle  and  the  four  generals  now 


ACROSS  THE   LOIRE  243 

in  the  camp  held  a  council.  Westermann  was  extremely 
discontented  at  finding  that  the  heights  were  not  occupied ; 
but,  as  Kleber  remarked,  the  troops  were  utterly  dissatis- 
fied at  the  way  in  which  they  had  been  handled,  and  at 
the  unnecessary  and  enormous  fatigues  that  had  been  im- 
posed upon  them,  and  it  was  impossible  to  demand  further 
exertions.  Savary,  one  of  the  generals  at  the  council,  was 
well  acquainted  with  Laval,  and  gave  the  advice  that  a 
portion  of  the  army  should  follow  the  river  for  some  dis- 
tance, and  then  take  possession  of  the  hills  commanding  the 
town.  When  Beaupuy  arrived,  his  division  moved  forward 
at  once  as  an  advanced  guard,  but  as  the  army  was  moving, 
a  messenger  arrived  from  I'Echelle,  issuing  orders  in  absolute 
contradiction  of  the  plan  that  he  had  agreed  to  when  the 
council  of  war  broke  up. 

The  orders  were  obeyed,  but  the  generals  again  met,  and 
sent  off  a  messenger  to  I'Echelle  to  remonstrate  against  the 
attack  in  one  mass  and  a  march  by  a  single  road,  on  a  posi- 
tion that  could  be  attacked  by  several  routes,  and  to  recom- 
mend that  at  least  a  diversion  should  be  made  by  a  false 
attack.  Westermann  himself  carried  this  remonstrance,  but 
the  commander-in-chief  paid  no  attention  to  him.  Advanc- 
ing, it  was  found  that  the  Vend^ans  had  taken  up  a  position 
on  the  neglected  heights.  The  cannon  opened  on  both 
sides,  and  Beaupuy  was  soon  hotly  engaged.  Kleber  ad- 
vanced his  division  to  sustain  him.  L'Echelle  coming  up 
arrested  the  further  advance  of  the  division  of  Chalbos. 
Savary  rode  back  in  haste  to  implore  I'Echelle  to  order 
Chalbos  to  move  to  the  right  and  attack  the  left  flank  of 
the  enemy;  but  by  this  time  the  unfortunate  wretch  had 
completely  lost  his  head,  and  instead  of  giving  Chalbos 
orders  to  advance,  ordered  him  to  retreat,  and  himself  fled 
in  all  haste. 


244  NO   SURRENDER 

Two  columns  that  were  posted  a  few  miles  in  the  rear 
received  no  orders  whatever,  and  remained  ali  day  waiting 
for  them.  Kleber,  seeing  the  division  of  Chalbos  retiring 
in  great  disorder,  felt  that  success  was  now  impossible,  and 
placed  two  battalions  not  yet  engaged  at  the  bridge  to  cover 
the  retreat.  But  the  panic  was  spreading,  his  orders  were 
disobeyed,  and  the  veterans  of  Mayence,  as  well  as  the 
divisions  of  Beaupuy,  broke  their  ranks  and  fled. 

In  vain  the  officers  endeavoured  to  stay  the  flight;  the 
panic  was  complete.  Their  guns  were  left  behind,  and  the 
Vendeans,  pressing  hotly  on  their  rear,  overtook  and  killed 
great  numbers.  Bloss,  with  his  grenadiers,  advancing  from 
Chateau-Gontier,  tried  in  vain  to  arrest  the  flight  of  the 
fugitives,  and  he  himself  and  his  command  were  swept  away 
by  the  mob  and  carried  beyond  the  town.  A  few  hundreds 
of  the  soldiers  alone  were  rallied,  and  prepared  to  defend  the 
bridge  of  Chateau-Gontier ;  but  la  Rochejaquelein  had  sent 
a  portion  of  his  force  to  make  a  circuit  and  seize  the  town, 
so  that  the  defenders  of  the  bridge  were  exposed  to  a  heavy 
fire  from  houses  in  their  rear. 

Kleber,  with  a  handful  of  men,  held  the  bridge,  and 
was  joined  by  Bloss,  who  had  been  already  wounded  while 
passing  through  the  town.  He  advanced  to  cross ;  Kleber 
and  Savary  in  vain  tried  to  stop  him.  "  No,"  he  said, 
"  I  will  not  survive  the  shame  of  such  a  day,"  and  rush- 
ing forward  with  a  small  party  fell  under  the  fire  of  the 
advancing  Vendeans.  The  pursuit  was  hotly  maintained. 
Keeping  on  heights  which  commanded  the  road,  the  Ven- 
deans maintained  an  incessant  fire  of  cannon  and  musketry. 
It  was  already  night,  and  this  alone  saved  the  Republican 
army  from  total  destruction.  Beaupuy  received  a  ter- 
rible wound  in  the  battle,  and  a  great  number  of  officers 
were  killed  in  endeavouring  to  stop  the  panic.     At  last  the 


ACROSS   THE    LOIRE  245 

pursuit  ceased,  and  for  a  few  hours  the  weary  fugitives 
slept.  Then  they  continued  their  retreat,  and  took  up  a 
strong  position  near  the  town  of  Angers,  which  was  crowded 
with  fugitives. 

L'Echelle  came  out  to  review  the  troops,  who  by  the 
orders  of  their  generals  had  already  formed  in  order  of 
battle,  but  was  received  with  such  yells  of  hatred  and 
contempt  that  he  was  forced  to  retire.  The  representatives 
of  the  convention  offered  Kleber  the  command  of  the 
army,  but  he  refused,  saying  that  Chalbos  was  of  superior 
rank,  and  that  it  was  he  who  should  take  the  command. 
They  agreed  to  this,  and  sent  to  I'Echelle,  telling  him  to 
demand  leave  of  absence  on  account  of  his  health.  A 
council  of  war  was  then  held.  The  representatives  of  the 
Convention  were  favourable  to  a  fresh  advance  of  the  army, 
but  Kleber  protested  that  at  present  there  was  no  army. 
He  said  that  the  soldiers  were  utterly  discouraged,  that 
some  battalions  had  but  twenty  or  thirty  men  with  the 
colours,  that  all  were  wet  to  the  skin,  utterly  exhausted, 
many  without  shoes,  and  all  dispirited.  Therefore  he 
insisted  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  that  the  army 
should  be  completely  reorganized  before  undertaking  a 
fresh  forward  movement. 

Their  loss  had  indeed  been  extremely  heavy,  Kleber's 
division  alone  having  lost  over  a  thousand  men.  Beaupuy 
had  suffered  even  more  heavily,  while  the  divisions  of 
Chalbos  and  the  grenadiers  of  Bloss  had  also  lost  large 
numbers.  The  total  loss,  including  deserters,  amounted 
to  over  four  thousand.  The  whole  of  the  cannon  of 
the  two  first  divisions  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  the  artillerymen  having  cut  the  traces.  A  large 
number  of  ammunition  waggons  and  a  quantity  of  carts 
laden  with  provisions  had  also  been  captured. 


246  ,  NO  SURRENDER 

CHAPTER  XIV 

LE  MANS 

THE  victory  won  by  the  Vend^ans  was  one  of  the  most 
important  of  the  war.  Never  had  they  fought  with 
greater  bravery,  never  did  they  carry  out  more  accurately 
and  promptly  the  orders  of  their  generals.  Napoleon  after- 
wards pronounced  that  the  tactics  pursued  by  la  Rochejaque- 
lein  showed  that  he  possessed  the  highest  military  genius.  It 
was  night  alone  that  saved  the  routed  army  of  the  Republic 
from  absolute  destruction.  It  is  probable  that  at  the  time 
the  Vendean  general  had  no  idea  of  the  completeness  of  the 
victory  that  he  had  won,  or  of  the  disorganization  of  the 
enemy.  Had  he  known  it,  he  would  doubtless  have  attacked 
them  again  on  the  following  day,  when  he  would  have  ex- 
perienced no  resistance,  could  have  captured  Angers  with- 
out firing  a  shot,  and  could,  had  he  chosen,  have  recrossed 
the  Loire.  The  Vend^ans,  however,  well  content  with  their 
success,  returned  to  Laval,  and  there  enjoyed  a  week's  quiet 
and  repose. 

The  crushing  defeat  that  the  Republicans  had  experi- 
enced caused  an  immense  sensation  at  Paris,  and  in  the 
towns  through  which  the  Vend^ans  would  pass  on  their 
way  to  the  capital,  which  was  at  the  time  actually  open  to 
them.  Patsey  was  delighted  when  Jean  and  Leigh  returned 
unwounded. 

*'  You  both  seem  to  bear  a  charmed  life,"  she  said.  "  Leigh 
has  indeed  once  been  hit,  but  it  was  not  serious  ;  you  have 
escaped  altogether.     What  is  going  to  be  done  next?" 

"  We  are  going  to  rest  here  for  ten  days  or  so.  There 
is  plenty  of  food  to  be  had,  and  the  rest  will  do  wonders 


LE  MANS  247 

for  the  men.  Of  course  we  rode  back  with  la  Roche- 
jaquelein.  His  opinion  was,  as  it  always  has  been,  that  a 
march  on  Paris  will  alone  bring  this  terrible  business  to  a 
close,  but  he  knows  that  even  his  authority  will  not  suffice 
to  carry  out  such  a  plan.  As  long  as  they  are  in  Brittany 
they  are  among  friends  and  are  still  near  their  homes,  but 
to  turn  their  backs  on  these  and  march  on  Paris  would 
appear  so  terrible  an  undertaking  that,  reckless  as  they  are 
of  their  lives  in  battle,  nothing  would  induce  them  to 
attempt  it." 

After  ten  days'  delay  the  Vendeans  commenced  their 
march  towards  the  coast.  The  battle  at  Villiers  was  fought 
on  the  twenty-seventh.  By  the  sixth  of  November  they 
had  captured  the  towns  of  Ernee  and  de  Fougeres,  defeat- 
ing at  the  latter  place  three  battalions.  Dol  was  next 
captured,  Mayenne  opened  its  gates  without  resistance. 
The  greatest  efforts  were  made  by  the  Republicans  to 
place  the  seaports  in  a  state  of  defence.  Cherbourg  would 
have  been  the  best  point  for  the  fugitives  to  attack,  as  here 
they  would  have  found  an  abundance  of  powder,  of  which 
they  were  in  great  need,  and  cannon,  and  here  they  might 
have  defended  themselves  until  the  promised  help  arrived 
from  England.  Granville,  however,  had  been  fixed  upon 
by  the  British  government;  and  the  march  thither  was 
shorter,  therefore  it  was  against  Granville  that  the  attack 
was  directed.  A  considerable  portion  of  the  force  with 
the  artillery  were  left  at  Avranches.  Although  assured 
that  the  march  to  the  sea  was  made  in  order  to  obtain 
succour  there  from  England,  there  was  much  fear  among 
the  peasants  that  the  intention  of  the  chiefs  was  to  embark, 
and  to  leave  the  army  to  its  fate.  Consequently  they 
advanced  against  Granville  with  less  energy  and  enthusiasm 
than  usual. 


248  NO   SURRENDER 

However,  half  a  league  out  of  the  town  they  came  upon 
a  portion  of  the  garrison,  and  repulsed  them  so  successfully 
that  they  entered  one  of  the  suburbs  with  them.  The 
garrison  had  for  the  most  part  shut  themselves  up  in  a 
fort  which  commanded  the  town,  having  erected  a  strong 
palisade  across  the  streets  leading  to  it.  Four  hundred  men 
occupied  this  post.  The  Vend^ans  had  no  axes  to  cut  down 
the  palisades  nor  powder  to  blow  then  in.  They  were, 
therefore,  obliged  to  content  themselves  with  a  musketry 
fire  against  it.  As  the  garrison  were  well  supplied  with 
ammunition,  and  kept  up  a  constant  fire,  they  suffered 
heavily.  When  night  came,  the  Vendeans  scattered  among 
the  houses  to  find  food,  fire,  and  shelter,  and  all  night  the 
batteries  on  the  heights  played  upon  them.  In  the  morning 
the  Republicans  redoubled  their  fire.  It  became  evident  that 
the  town  itself  could  not  be  taken,  and  the  mass  of  the  Ven- 
deans, without  orders  from  their  chiefs,  began  to  retire,  and 
in  a  short  time  the  whole  were  in  rapid  retreat  to  Avranches. 

There  the  cry  was  raised,  "  Back  to  La  Vendee  !  "  La 
Rochejaquelein,  after  halting  his  force  on  the  main  road 
a  few  hours,  called  upon  the  men  to  follow  him  to  Caen, 
but  only  one  thousand  did  so ;  on  arriving  at  a  village 
he  learned  that  the  bulk  of  the  army,  instead  of  being 
behind  him,  had  marched  towards  Pontorson.  He  was 
therefore  forced  to  retrace  his  steps  and  to  follow  them, 
and  on  overtaking  them,  found  that  they  had  already 
carried  the  bridge,  driven  away  the  enemy,  and  occupied 
the  town.  The  enemy  were  closing  round  them,  but  the 
capture  of  Pontorson  deranged  the  plans  of  the  Republi- 
cans. The  place  had  been  held  by  four  thousand  men 
and  ten  pieces  of  cannon,  and  as  it  could  be  approached 
only  by  a  narrow  defile,  it  was  believed  that  it  would 
be  impossible  for  the  Vendeans  to  force  their  way  into  it. 


LE  MANS  249 

However,  after  three  hours'  fighting,  their  desperate  valour 
won  the  day,  and  the  Republicans  were  routed  with  the 
loss  of  most  of  their  cannon. 

The  affair,  indeed,  appeared  to  the  peasants  to  be  a  miracle 
granted  in  their  favour,  and  with  renewed  heart  they 
marched  the  next  night  to  Dol.  Kleber  was  with  a  large 
force  in  this  neighbourhood,  but  the  impetuosity  of  Wester- 
mann  again  upset  his  plans.  As  soon  as  the  latter  heard  that 
Pontorson  had  been  carried  by  the  Vend^ans,  and  that  they 
had  marched  to  Dol,  he  pursued  them  with  three  thousand 
infantry,  two  hundred  cavalry,  and  four  cannon.  He  ar- 
rived within  a  short  distance  of  Dol  at  six  in  the  evening, 
and,  without  waiting  for  the  infantry  to  come  up,  charged 
into  the  town,  and  for  a  moment  spread  confusion  among  the 
Vend^ans.  They,  however,  soon  recovered  from  their  surprise 
and  drove  the  enemy  out  with  loss.  Westermann's  infantry 
took  no  part  in  the  action.  Kleber  was  occupied  in  closing 
every  route  by  which  the  Vendeans  could  leave  Dol,  but 
Westermann,  who  had  held  no  communication  with  him, 
and  knew  nothing  of  his  plans,  marched  with  Marigny's 
division,  with  six  thousand  men,  to  attack  the  town. 

This  he  did  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  Vendeans 
at  once  rushed  to  meet  them,  and  first  tried  to  turn  the 
right,  but  they  failed  here,  and  also  in  an  attack  on  the  left ; 
they  fought,  however,  so  fiercely  that  Westermann  withdrew 
his  troops  to  the  position  that  they  had  occupied  before 
attacking.  The  Vendeans,  however,  gave  them  no  time  to 
form  in  order  of  battle,  but,  heralding  their  charge  with  a 
heavy  musketry  fire,  rushed  down  upon  them.  The  enemy 
at  once  broke,  and  leaving  their  cannon  behind  them  con- 
tinued their  flight  till  they  reached  Pontorson.  In  the  mean- 
time Marceau  was  advancing  with  his  division  by  another 
road,  and  the  Vendeans,  hearing  this,  ceased  their  pursuit  of 


250  NO   SURRENDER 

Westermann's  routed  division  and  moved  against  him,  and 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  attacked  him  when  within  a 
league  of  Dol.  A  combat  ensued  that  lasted  for  three  hours. 
The  Vendeans  then  drew  off  on  learning  that  the  division  of 
Muller  was  on  the  point  of  joining  that  of  Marceau.  Together 
these  divisions  could  have  forced  their  way  into  Dol,  but 
Muller  was  hopelessly  drunk,  and  being  the  senior  officer 
the  greatest  confusion  arose,  and  had  the  Vendeans  known 
what  was  taking  place,  they  could  have  gained  a  decisive 
victory. 

Marceau,  seeing  that  he  could  do  nothing  to  restore  order, 
rode  at  full  speed  to  Kleber's  head-quarters,  and  at  day- 
break the  two  generals  arrived  at  the  spot  and  found  the 
two  divisions  mingled  in  supreme  disorder,  the  brigades  and 
battalions  being  mixed  up  together.  Finding  that  nothing 
could  be  done  with  them  there,  Kleber  drew  them  off,  their 
confusion  being  almost  converted  into  a  rout  by  the  fire  of 
about  a  hundred  Vendeans.  A  council  of  war  was  held,  and 
eighteen  hundred  men,  with  two  guns,  were  sent  to  Pontor- 
son  to  join  Westermann's  defeated  division.  That  general 
was  ordered  to  advance  again  at  once  upon  Dol.  Kleber 
opposed  this,  and  the  rest  of  the  council  coming  at  last  to 
his  opinion,  orders  were  sent  to  Westermann  to  remain  on 
the  defensive  and  await  fresh  orders.  Westermann,  how- 
ever, as  usual,  disregarded  these,  and,  marching  through  the 
night,  approached  the  town  and  arrived  early  in  the  morning 
at  a  village  close  to  it. 

The  sounding  of  the  church  bells  told  that  the  Vendeans 
had  discovered  the  enemy,  and  in  a  few  minutes  these  were 
seen  rushing  as  usual  to  the  attack.  In  spite  of  the  rein- 
forcements that  had  reached  them,  Westermann's  troops 
fought  worse  than  they  had  done  two  nights  before.  The 
reinforcements  were  the  first  to   give  way.     The  advanced 


LE  MANS  251 

guard  speedily  turned  and  fled.  Westermann  and  Marigny, 
with  a  small  party  of  cavalry,  fought  desperately  to  cover  the 
retreat.  Marigny,  however,  fell,  and  the  whole  force  be- 
came a  mass  of  fugitives.  Kleber  on  his  way  the  next  day 
to  reconnoitre  the  town  met  the  Vendeans  advancing. 
Scattering  rapidly,  these  occupied  the  ridges  and  attacked 
the  brigade  that  formed  his  advanced  guard  so  fiercely  that 
it  broke  and  fled.  Kleber  sent  to  fetch  some  battalions  of 
the  troops  of  Mayence,  and,  as  soon  as  they  arrived  with 
some  battalions  of  grenadiers,  formed  them  in  order  of 
battle.  Other  troops  came  up,  and  they  prepared  for  a 
serious  engagement. 

At  this  moment  the  Vendean  column  that  had  defeated 
Westermann  showed  itself  on  the  right  flank  of  the  Re- 
publicans, and  threatened  their  rear.  Kleber  ordered 
some  of  the  battalions  to  take  post  further  back  to  cover 
the  line  of  retreat.  Other  battalions,  seeing  the  move- 
ment, and  believing  this  to  be  a  signal  for  retreat,  followed. 
The  grenadiers  alone  stood  firm  and  defended  themselves 
for  three  hours.  In  the  meantime  the  greater  portion  of 
the  Republican  army  was  already  in  full  flight,  and  a  retreat 
was  ordered.  The  troops  remaining  on  the  field  retired  at 
first  in  good  order,  but  as  the  victorious  Vendeans  pressed 
on,  this  speedily  became  a  rout.  Marceau,  gathering  to- 
gether such  soldiers  as  still  retained  their  presence  of  mind, 
endeavoured  to  defend  the  bridge  of  Antrain,  but  the 
Vende'ans,  pressing  forward,  swept  them  away,  and  the 
fugitives  fled  in  a  confused  mob  as  far  as  Rennes. 

The  Vendeans,  on  entering  Antrain,  at  once  scattered  in 
search  of  food,  disregarding  the  orders  and  entreaties  of  la 
Rochejaquelein  and  Stofflet,  who  urged  them  to  press  hotly 
upon  the  routed  enemy,  and  so  to  complete  the  victory  they 
had  won.     At  Antrain  they  learned  that  the  wounded,  who 


252  NO   SURRENDER 

had  been  left  in  hospital  at  Fougeres,  had  been  murdered  in 
their  beds  by  the  Blues,  and  they  accordingly  shot  all  the 
prisoners  they  had  taken  in  the  battle.  The  victory  seemed 
to  open  the  way  to  the  Loire,  and  the  Vendeans  steadily 
marched  south  through  Mayenne  and  Laval  and  arrived  in 
front  of  Angers.  But  the  city  was  no  longer  in  the  defence- 
less state  in  which  it  was  when  they  first  crossed  the  Loire. 
As  soon  as  it  was  perceived  to  be  the  point  for  which  the 
Vendeans  were  marching,  four  thousand  troops  were  thrown 
into  it  and  all  preparations  made  for  a  stout  defence. 

"  If  they  defend  themselves  as  they  ought  to  do,"  la 
Rochejaquelein  said  to  two  or  three  of  his  officers,  among 
whom  was  Jean  Martin,  "there  is  no  hope  of  taking  the 
town.  We  have  neither  cannon  to  blow  down  the  walls 
nor  means  of  scaling  them.  Thirty-six  hours  is  the  utmost 
we  can  hope  for  our  operations ;  Kleber  and  the  rest  of 
them  will  be  up  by  that  time.  However  —  it  is  our  sole 
hope  —  possibly  a  panic  may  seize  them  when  we  attack ; 
but  even  cowards  will  fight  behind  walls,  and  after  our  fail- 
ure at  Granville,  I  have  little  hope  of  our  taking  Angers,  espe- 
cially as  they  must  know  how  soon  their  army  will  be  up." 

The  affair  was  a  repetition  of  that  at  Granville.  The 
Vendeans  at  once  obtained  possession  of  one  of  the 
suburbs.  Twenty  pieces  of  cannon  opened  fire  upon  it 
from  the  walls,  while  from  the  houses  the  Vendeans  replied 
with  a  musketry  fire.  During  the  night  a  number  of  men 
laboured  to  undermine  the  wall  by  one  of  the  gates,  and 
partially  succeeded.  But  day  broke  before  the  work  was 
completed,  and  the  defenders  planted  several  cannon  to 
bear  upon  them.  The  Vendeans  were  too  much  discouraged 
to  make  any  further  effort,  and  when  a  few  hours  later  news 
came  that  the  Republican  army  was  fast  approaching,  and 
would  reach  the  ground  in  an  hour's  time,  they  again  got 


LE   MANS  253 

into  motion  and  pursued  their  hopeless  journey  in  search 
of  some  point  where  they  could  cross  the  river,  if  only  to 
die  in  their  beloved  land.  On  the  following  day  Kleber 
was  reinforced  by  a  column  eight  thousand  strong  from 
Cherbourg,  and  a  reconnaissance  was  made  along  the  road 
by  which  the  Vendeans  had  retreated.  They  found  every- 
where the  bodies  of  men,  women,  and  children  who  had 
succumbed  to  cold,  fatigue,  and  misery.  Westermann's 
cavalry  set  out  in  pursuit,  Muller  following  with  his 
division  to  support  him. 

Marceau  was  now  appointed  commander-in-chief,  pending 
the  arrival  of  Turreau  and  Rossignol.  The  latter  had, 
almost  from  the  commencement  of  the  war,  intrigued 
against  every  general  concerned  in  the  operations,  especially 
against  Kleber.  He  was  himself  utterly  without  military 
talent,  and  owed  his  position  simply  to  his  devotion  to  the 
Convention  and  his  readiness  to  denounce  the  men  who 
failed  to  satisfy  its  anticipations  of  an  easy  victory,  or 
who  showed  the  slightest  repugnance  to  execute  its 
barbarous  decrees. 

With  the  exception  of  some  three  thousand  men  who 
marched  at  the  head  of  the  Vendean  column,  the  fugitives 
were  now  utterly  disheartened.  Many  hid  their  muskets, 
and,  cutting  sticks,  thought  that,  being  no  longer  armed, 
they  would  not  be  molested  by  the  enemy.  Each  night 
numbers  stole  away  in  groups  of  twos  and  threes  in  the 
hope  of  finding  a  boat  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  Others 
scattered  among  the  villages,  their  appearance  exciting 
compassion ;  but  fear  of  the  troops  was  more  powerful,  and 
the  men  for  the  most  part  were  seized  and  held  prisoners. 
Of  the  hundred  thousand  men,  women,  and  children  who 
had  crossed  the  Loire  more  than  half  were  dead.  Of  those 
who  remained,  fully  fifteen  thousand  were  women  and  children. 


254  NO   SURRENDER 

On  the  march  Leigh  always  rode  by  the  side  of  his  sister, 
generally  carrying  the  child  before  him.  Jean,  as  one  of 
the  leading  officers,  now  rode  with  Rochejaquelein  at  the 
head  of  the  column.  Patsey  suffered  less  on  her  own  account 
than  on  that  of  the  poor  people  who  had  to  journey  on  foot. 
The  cold  was  intense,  and  except  when  they  entered  a  town 
it  was  impossible  to  obtain  provisions.  The  horses  were  worn 
out  and  half-famished,  a  great  proportion  of  the  fugitives 
were  without  shoes,  and  the  clothing  of  all  was  in  rags. 
In  order  to  spare  her  the  sight  of  the  misery  prevailing 
among  those  who  marched  in  the  rear  of  the  column,  Leigh 
always  rode  with  his  sister  in  the  rear  of  the  leading 
division.  He  himself,  for  the  most  part,  walked  on  foot, 
lending  his  horse  to  some  wounded  man  or  exhausted 
woman. 

When  the  column  left  Angers  it  had  been  intended  to 
march  to  Saumur  and  cross  there,  but  the  news  arrived 
that  a  strong  Republican  force  had  gathered  there,  and 
it  was  determined  to  change  the  course  and  to  march 
through  La  Fleche  to  Le  Mans.  By  this  sudden  and 
unexpected  movement  Rochejaquelein  hoped  to  gain  time 
to  give  his  followers  two  days'  rest.  The  immediate 
result,  however,  was  to  excite  a  feeling  of  despair  among  a 
great  portion  of  them.  Their  backs  were  now  turned  to 
La  Vendee,  and  it  seemed  to  them  that  their  last  hope 
of  reaching  their  homes  had  vanished.  Rochejaquelein's 
idea,  however,  was  that  in  their  present  state  of  exhaustion 
it  was  impossible  to  hope  to  cross  the  Loire,  guarded  as  it 
was  at  every  point,  and  with  over  one  hundred  thousand 
men  between  him  and  La  Vendue ;  and  he  intended,  after 
giving  them  the  much-needed  rest,  to  march  round  through 
Chateaudun,  to  come  down  on  the  Loire  above  Orleans, 
and  so  to  make  his  way  back  into  Poitou. 


LE   MANS  255 

Had  he  had  with  him  only  men,  the  project,  difficult  as 
it  seemed,  might  possibly  have  been  accomplished.  Un- 
embarrassed by  baggage -trains  or  cannon,  the  peasants 
could  have  out-marched  their  pursuers ;  but  hampered  by 
the  crowd  of  wounded,  sick,  women,  and  children,  the  move- 
ment must  be  regarded  as  the  inspiration  of  despair. 
Indeed,  even  the  fighting  men  were  no  longer  in  a  state 
to  bear  the  fatigue.  Bad  and  insufficient  food  had  played 
havoc  with  them.  Dysentery  was  raging  in  their  ranks,  and 
many  could  scarce  drag  themselves  along. 

"  We  cannot  conceal  from  ourselves  that  it  is  nearly  over," 
Jean  said,  when  he  told  his  wife  and  Leigh  that  the  route 
was  changed.  "  We  shall  get  to  Le  Mans,  but  the  Repub- 
licans will  be  on  our  heels,  and  one  cannot  doubt  what  the 
issue  will  be.  Doubtless  a  small  body  will  hang  together, 
and  still  try  to  regain  La  Vendee ;  but  we  shall  have  done 
our  duty.  After  our  next  defeat  I  will  leave  the  army.  I 
shall  not  go  without  telling  la  Rochejaquelein  of  my  inten- 
tions. He  has  more  than  once  spoken  to  me  of  you  both,  and 
it  was  but  two  days  ago  that  he  said  to  me :  *  Martin,  you 
are  not  like  the  rest  of  us ;  you  have  an  English  wife,  and 
your  brave  young  brother-in-law  is  English  also.  You  have 
to  think  of  them  as  well  as  of  La  Vendee.  You  can  make  your 
home  in  England,  and  live  there  until  better  times  come. 

"  *  It  is  no  longer  a  question  of  defending  our  country;  it 
is  lost.  Charette  is  there  now,  and  still  fighting;  but  as 
soon  as  we  are  disposed  of,  all  these  troops  that  have  been 
hunting  us  down  will  be  free  to  act  against  him,  and  he 
too  must  be  crushed.  The  peasants  have  nowhere  else  to 
go,  and  it  is  not  with  a  desire  to  defend  their  homes, 
which  no  longer  exist,  but  to  die  in  their  native  land  that 
they  seek  to  return.  You  have  from  the  first  done  your 
utmost  for  La  Vendee,  but  there  can  be  no  occasion  that 


256  NO   SURRENDER 

you  should  throw  away  your  life,  and  those  of  your  wife  and 
brother,  now  that  the  cause  is  utterly  lost  and  all  hope  is 
at  an  end.  Think  this  over.  I  do  not  say  that  it  is  possible 
for  you  to  escape,  but  the  longer  you  stay  with  us  the 
more  difficult  will  it   become.' 

"  So,  you  see,  I  am  sure  that  when  I  tell  him  that,  feeling 
that  we  can  no  longer  be  of  use,  I  am  determined  to  make  at 
least  an  endeavour  to  reach  England  with  you,  he  will  approve." 

"  I  think  he  is  right,  Jean.  No  one  can  say  that  you 
have  not  done  your  duty  to  your  country  to  the  utmost,  or 
can  blame  you  for  now  doing  what  you  can  for  your  family." 

Just  as  they  neared  La  Fleche  a  squadron  of  the  enemy's 
cavabry  fell  upon  the  rear  of  the  column.  They  killed 
many  of  the  fugitives,  but  were  too  small  in  number  to 
threaten  the  safety  of  the  column,  which  kept  on  until  it 
reached  the  bridge  across  the  Loir.  This  had  been  broken 
down,  but  fire  was  opened  against  the  cannon  planted  on 
the  other  side,  the  gun-boats  that  were  guarding  the  river 
were  driven  away,  and  a  party  moving  up  the  bank  found 
two  little  boats,  and  began  to  cross.  A  detachment  of 
Republicans  hurried  to  attack  them,  but  the  Loir,  an  affluent 
of  the  Loire,  was  narrow,  and  the  musketry  fire  of  the 
main  body  drove  them  away  until  two  or  three  hundred 
men  had  crossed.  La  Rochejaquelein  went  over  and  took 
the  command,  and  on  their  advance  the  Republicans 
took  to  their  heels.  Rochejaquelein  then  recrossed  and 
drove  off  the  cavalry  that  were  harrassing  the  rear.  Work- 
ing desperately,  a  strong  party  threw  beams  across  the 
broken  bridge,  and  the  Vend^ans  occupied  the  town  at 
daybreak.  The  weary  fugitives  slept  till  midday,  when 
the  enemy's  cavalry  reappeared,  but  Rochejaquelein  with 
some  mounted  gentlemen  attacked  and  defeated  them  and 
pursued  them  for  some  distance. 


LE   MANS  257 

In  the  evening  a  force  under  Chalbos  approached  the 
town,  but  the  Vendeans  salHed  out  and  speedily  scattered 
them.  They  then  broke  down  the  bridge  that  they  had 
repaired,  and  started  for  Le  Mans,  which  they  captured 
after  three-quarters  of  an  hour's  fighting.  Two  days  later 
Kleber  was  in  front  of  the  town.  Westermann  and  Muller's 
divisions  first  approached.  The  two  days'  rest  had  reani- 
mated the  Vendeans,  and  Muller's  infantry  were  driven  back 
three  miles  ;  but  large  reinforcements  came  up,  and  the  peas- 
ants were  forced  to  fall  back  again.  Then  Westermann's 
cavalry  charged  into  the  town,  carrying  dismay  among  its 
defenders ;  but  la  Rochejaquelein  and  his  officers  soon 
reanimated  them,  and  the  cavalry  were  driven  out  of  the 
town  itself  They  and  the  infantry  that  had  come  up  were 
able,  however,  to  maintain  themselves  in  the  suburbs. 

By  this  time  la  Rochejaquelein  was  aware  that  the 
armies  of  Brest,  Cherbourg,  and  the  west  were  all  upon 
him.  All  through  the  night  the  battle  went  on  without 
interruption.  The  Republican  columns  could  gain  no 
ground,  and  were  frequently  obliged  to  give  way,  but  be- 
hind the  Vendean  line  of  defence  panic  was  gaining  ground 
among  the  fugitives.  Three  or  four  thousand  escaped  by 
the  road  to  Laval,  but  the  retreat  of  the  rest  was  cut  off 
by  the  cavalry.  In  the  morning  Kleber's  division  came  up. 
They  at  once  relieved  Marceau's  division,  which  had  been 
fighting  all  night,  and  renewed  the  attack.  The  resistance 
was  feeble.  A  few  hundred  men  disputed  every  foot  of 
the  way,  and  died  with  a  consciousness  that  they  had  at 
least  covered  the  retreat  of  the  rest.  A  hot -pursuit  was 
at  once  organised,  and  while  all  taken  in  the  town  were 
massacred  at  once,  Westermann's  cavalry  pursued  the  fugi- 
tives in  all  directions,  covering  the  plain  with  corpses,  and 
pressing  hard  on  the  rear  of  the  force  that  still  held  together. 

17 


258  NO   SURRENDER 

Jean  Martin  had,  the  day  before  the  Republican  attack, 
gone  with  Leigh  to  la  Rochejaquelein's  quarters,  and  told 
him  that  he  intended,  if  the  town  was  captured  by  the  en- 
emy, to  endeavour  to  save  the  life  of  his  wife  by  flight 

"You  are  quite  right,"  Rochejaquelein  said  warmly.  "I 
entirely  approve  of  your  determination.  As  long  as  ten  of 
my  men  hold  together  it  is  my  duty  to  remain  with  them  ; 
for  I  have  accepted  the  position  of  their  commander,  and 
I  must  share  their  fate  to  the  end.  But  it  is  different  with 
you.  As  the  cause  of  La  Vendue,  for  which  you  have  fought, 
is  lost,  your  first  duty  now  is  to  your  wife.  I  trust  that  you 
will  all  three  succeed  in  making  your  way  to  England,  and 
enjoy  there  the  peace  and  rest  that  none  can  have  in  un- 
happy France.  I  thank  you  for  your  gallant  services.  And 
I  thank  you  in  the  name  of  La  Vendue,  Leigh,  for  the 
manner  in  which  you  have  fought  for  her,  and  also  for  tlie 
companionship  that  has  so  often  cheered  me  during  our 
last  days.  As  for  myself,  I  have  no  wish  to  live.  I  should 
feel  dishonoured  were  the  army  I  led  to  be  exterminated, 
and  I,  who  accepted  the  responsibility  of  leading  it,  to 
survive.  We  have  the  consolation  at  least  that  never  in 
history  has  a  people  fought  more  bravely  against  overpow- 
ering odds  than  La  Vendee  has  done  ;  and  though  at  present 
we  are  called  brigands,  I  am  sure  that  the  world  will  ac- 
knowledge that  we  have  fought  like  heroes  for  our  country 
and  our  faith.  Unfortunate  as  we  may  be,  I  am  proud  to  be 
one  of  those  who  have  led  them  so  often  to  victory.  When 
will  you  go,  my  friend  ?  " 

"I  intend  to  be  with  you  to  the  last,"  Jean  said. 
"When  the  fight  begins  Leigh  and  my  wife  will  be  ready 
at  a  point  agreed  on  in  the  rear  of  the  town.  When  all 
is  lost  I  shall  join  them  there.  We  shall  ride  until  beyond 
pursuit,  and  then  put  on  our  disguises." 


LE   MANS  259 

^^Then  I  will  not  say  good-bye  to  you  now,"  Roche- 
jaquelein  said.  "  Good-bye,  Leigh.  May  Heaven  keep  you 
and  take  you  safely  home  again." 

Leigh  was  too  much  affected  to  speak,  and  after  a  silent 
grasp  of  the  hand  of  the  gallant  young  soldier,  he  returned 
with  Jean  to  the  quarters  they  occupied. 

"Now  for  our  plans,"  Jean  said.  "They  are  as  vague 
as  ever,  but  we  must  settle  now.  It  is  quite  evident  that 
the  alarm  is  so  widely  spread  here  in  the  west  that  it  will 
be  well-nigh  impossible  to  pass  through  even  a  village  with- 
out being  questioned.  Alengon  on  the  north  has  a  strong 
garrison,  at  Mayenne  on  the  west  is  a  division,  and  the 
whole  country  beyond  will  be  alive  with  troops  on  the 
search  for  fugitives.  It  is  only  to  the  east  that  the  road 
is  open  to  us.  I  should  say  that  the  safest  way  will  be 
to  travel  so  as  to  cross  the  Loir  between  Chateaudun  and 
Nogent,  and  then  come  down  on  the  road  running  south 
from  Fontainebleau  through  Montargis.  Travelling  south 
through  Nevers  we  should  excite  no  suspicion.  If  ques- 
tioned we  can  say  that  we  are  going  to  visit  some  friends 
at  Macon.  The  unfortunate  thing  is  that  we  have  no 
papers,  and  I  think  that  our  story  had  best  be  that  we 
belong  to  Le  Mans,  and  fled  in  such  haste  when  the  town 
was  captured  by  the  Venddans  that  we  escaped  just  as  we 
stood,  and  omitted  to  bring  our  papers  with  us. 

"Fortunately  we  all  speak  French  without  accent,  and 
there  is  nothing  about  us  to  give  rise  to  suspicion  that  we 
belong  to  La  Vendee.  If  we  can  think  of  a  more  likely 
story  as  we  go  along,  all  the  better.  When  we  get  as  far 
as  Macon,  if  we  ever  get  there,  we  can  decide  whether  to 
endeavour  to  cross  the  frontier  into  Switzerland  or  to  go 
down  to  Toulon.  Now  remember,  Patsey,  my  last  in- 
junctions  are   that  when  you  perceive   from  the   rush  of 


260  NO   SURRENDER 

fugitives  that  all  is  over,  and  that  any  firing  that  may  still 
be  going  on  is  but  an  attempt  to  cover  the  retreat,  you 
must  not  wait  for  me,  but  as  soon  as  the  sound  of  combat 
approaches  you  will  ride  off  with  Leigh.  You  need  not 
suppose  because  I  do  not  join  you  that  I  am  killed. 
The  enemy  may  have  pushed  so  far  through  the  town  that 
I  may  find  it  impossible  to  join  you.  But  from  whatever 
cause  I  tarry,  you  are  not  to  wait  for  me.  If  I  am  shot,  it 
will  be  a  consolation  to  me  to  know  that  you  will  be  away 
under  your  brother's  protection.  If  I  escape,  I  shall,  if  I 
make  my  way  to  England,  have  the  hope  of  meeting  you 
there,  and  shall  not  be  haunted  with  the  fear  that  you  have 
delayed  too  long  and  have  sacrificed  your  lives  uselessly.  I 
want  you  and  him  to  give  me  your  solemn  promise  that  you 
will  act  thus,  and  will,  as  soon  as  he  considers  that  further 
delay  will  be  dangerous,  ride  off.  Remember  that  this  is 
my  last  wish,  this  is  my  last  order." 

"  I  will  do  as  you  wish,  Jean,"  his  wife  said  firmly.  "  God 
has  preserved  us  three  thus  far,  and  I  trust  that  He  will  con- 
tinue to  do  so.  I  shall  have  the  less  hesitation,  because  I 
think  that  alone  you  will  have  perhaps  a  better  chance  of 
escaping  than  with  us.  At  any  rate,  we  will  carry  out  your 
instructions.  But  should  we  miss  each  other,  is  there  no 
place  where  we  can  arrange  to  meet  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  see  that  it  is  possible  to  make  any  arrange- 
ments, Patsey.  You  may  be  turned  out  of  your  course  by 
circumstances  which  it  is  impossible  to  foresee,  and  the 
same  may  be  the  case  with  myself.  Suppose  we  named  a 
seaport,  there  would  in  the  first  place  be  difficulty  in  finding 
each  other.  You  might  see  some  opportunity  of  getting 
across  the  water,  and  if  you  lost  that,  the  chance  might  not 
occur  again,  and  the  delay  might  cost  you  your  lives.  I  trust 
that  we  shall  not  be  separated,  dear,  but  I  see  clearly  that 


LE  MANS  261 

if  such  a  misfortune  should  happen,  it  were  best  that  we 
should  each  make  our  own  way,  in  the  hope  of  meeting  at 
Poole.  You  may  be  sure  that  I  shall  join  you  if  possible,  for 
I  see  that  if  separated  your  difficulties  will  be  far  greater 
than  mine.  You,  too,  would  have  the  burden  of  the  child. 
But  let  us  suppose  that  I  was  wounded,  but  got  away  and 
managed  to  obtain  shelter  in  some  Breton  cottage ;  you 
might  be  waiting  for  me  for  weeks  at  an  agreed  point.  Now, 
while  travelling,  you  might  escape  many  questions,  but  were 
you  to  stop  even  for  a  few  days  at  any  town  or  village,  you 
may  be  sure  that  you  would  be  questioned  so  closely  by  the 
authorities  that  there  would  be  litde  chance  of  your  get- 
ting on.  I  should  know  that,  and  should  be  fretting  my 
heart  out." 

"  Yes,  I  see  't  is  best  that  we  should  do  as  you  say,  Jean. 
God  forbid  that  we  should  be  separated,  but  if  you  do  not 
come  to  the  rendezvous,  I  promise  you  that  we  will,  as  you 
wish,  go  on  by  ourselves." 

"And  now,  dear,  we  will  divide  our  money.  We  have 
still  three  hundred  louis  left.  I  will  take  one  hundred,  and 
you  shall  take  the  rest.  You  are  much  more  likely  to  want 
money,  if  we  are  separated,  than  I.  You  had  best  sew  the 
greater  part  up  in  your  saddle,  Leigh." 

"  I  think  we  had  better  divide  it  as  much  as  possible, 
Jean.  We  can  put  seventy-five  louis  in  each  of  our  saddles, 
and  the  weight  would  not  be  so  great  that  anyone  who 
happens  to  handle  one  of  them  would  notice  it.  I  can  put 
another  five-and-forty  in  the  belt  round  my  waist,  and  keep 
the  odd  five  in  my  pocket  for  expenses.  Of  course,  if 
we  decide  to  abandon  our  horses,  I  will  make  some  other 
arrangement." 

"  The  best  plan,  Leigh,  will  be  for  us  to  change  the  louis 
for  assignats  at  the  first  opportunity.      Gold  is  so  scarce 


262  NO   SURRENDER 

that  each  time  you  offered  to  pay  with  it,  it  would  excite 
suspicion.  I  have  no  doubt  that  I  can  buy  assignats  here. 
We  have  taken  a  quantity  from  the  enemy,  and  la  Roche- 
jaquelein  will,  I  am  sure,  be  glad  to  obtain  some  gold  for 
them.  It  will  be  a  double  advantage  :  we  shall  have  less 
weight  to  carry,  and  shall  be  able  to  pay  our  way  without 
the  gold  exciting  suspicion.  The  assignats  now  are  only 
a  quarter  of  their  face  value,  so  that  for  two  hundred  louis 
I  should  get  eight  hundred  louis  in  assignats,  of  which 
I  would  take  two  hundred,  and  you  could  take  the 
rest." 

*'That  would  certainly  be  an  excellent  plan,  Jean,  for 
two  hundred  louis  in  gold  would  be  a  serious  weight  to 
carry,  and  if  found  on  us,  would  in  itself  be  sufficient  to 
condemn  us  as  intending  emigres." 

Jean  at  once  took  two  hundred  louis,  which  had  hitherto 
been  carried  in  their  wallets,  and  went  out.  He  returned  in 
an  hour. 

^^That  is  satisfactorily  settled,"  he  said.  "  Blacquard, 
who  is  in  charge  of  the  treasury,  was  delighted  to  obtain 
some  gold,  and  has  given  us  five  times  the  amount  in  assig- 
nats. Of  this  I  will  take  two  hundred  and  fifty  louis'  worth. 
You  will  have  seven  hundred  and  fifty  louis  in  assignats, 
and  we  will  divide  the  hundred  louis  in  gold.  Of  the  latter 
you  had  best  sew  up  twenty  in  each  of  your  saddles,  and 
you  can  carry  ten  about  you.  People  are  so  anxious  for 
gold  that,  in  case  of  need,  you  can  get  services  rendered 
for  it  that  you  would  fail  to  obtain  for  any  amount  of 
paper." 

The  greater  portion  of  the  assignats  and  the  gold,  as 
agreed,  was  sewn  up  in  the  saddles,  some  provisions  packed 
in  the  vahses,  and  Jean  and  Leigh  went  out  together  and 
fixed  upon  a  spot  where  they  were  to  wait.      The  prepa- 


LE  MANS  263 

rations  were  all  finished  when  firing  broke  out.  Jean  kissed 
his  wife. 

"  May  God's  blessing  keep  you/'  he  said.  "  I  trust  that 
we  shall  meet  again  when  the  fighting  is  over." 

Then  he  kissed  his  child,  wrung  Leigh  by  the  hand,  and 
rode  off  to  join  the  general.  The  women,  children,  and  the 
men  who  had  thrown  away  their  arms,  the  sick  and  wounded, 
were  already  leaving  the  town. 

"  Marthe,  you  must  go  now,"  Patsey  said  to  the  faithful 
nurse.  They  had  bought  a  horse  for  her  from  a  peasant 
who  had  captured  it,  a  riderless  animal  that  belonged  to  one 
of  Westermann's  troopers.  "  Here  are  fifty  louis  in  assig- 
nats.  I  wish  that  you  could  have  gone  with  us,  but  that 
is  not  possible.  Frangois  is  waiting  outside  and  will  take 
care  of  you,  as  we  have  agreed.  The  best  possible  plan  will 
be  to  separate  yourselves  from  the  others  as  soon  as  possible. 
The  Blues  are  sure  to  be  keeping  close  to  them.  Ride  straight 
for  the  river  by  by-lanes,  and  if  you  cannot  obtain  a  boat, 
swim  your  horse  across,  and  then  make  for  home.  If  we 
get  safely  to  England,  we  will  write  to  you  as  soon  as  these 
troubles  are  over,  and  you  can  join  us  there." 

"  God  bless  you,  madame.  It  breaks  my  heart  to  part 
with  you  and  the  child,  but  I  see  that  it  is  for  the  best." 

Leigh  fetched  the  horse  round  and  assisted  her  to  mount 
behind  Francois.  The  two  women,  both  weeping,  were  still 
exchanging  adieus  when  Leigh  said  to  Frangois  : 

"  Ride  on ;  the  sooner  this  is  over  the  better  for  both." 

The  man  nodded. 

"  God  bless  you,  young  master !  I  will  look  after  Marthe. 
As  soon  as  we  get  away  from  the  rest,  I  shall  get  off  and 
run  by  her  side  ;  the  horse  would  never  carry  two  of  us  far." 

So  saying,  he  touched  the  horse  with  his  heel,  and  they 
rode  off. 


264  NO   SURRENDER 

CHAPTER  XV 

IN   DISGUISE 

LEIGH  returned  into  the  house  with  his  sister. 
"  Cheer  up,  Patsey,"  he  said  ;  "  it  is  very  hard  parting, 
but  I  have  every  hope  that  they  will  succeed  in  getting 
safely  home.  Francois  is  a  sharp  fellow,  they  have  a 
good  stock  of  food,  and  they  won't  have  to  go  into  any 
village;  and  being  only  two,  they  will  have  a  far  better 
chance  of  crossing  the  river  than  if  they  kept  with  the 
others." 

"  How  they  are  fighting ! "  Patsey  said  a  few  minutes 
later. 

Indeed  the  roar  of  musketry  was  unceasing,  and  was 
mingled  with  the  louder  cracks  of  the  field-guns. 

''  Our  men  are  holding  their  own,"  Leigh  replied ;  **  the 
firing  is  no  nearer  than  it  was  half  an  hour  ago.  Now,  you 
had  better  lie  down,  Patsey.  I  will  keep  a  sharp  look-out, 
and  the  moment  I  see  any  signs  of  our  men  retiring,  we  will 
mount.  I  know  there  is  no  chance  of  your  sleeping,  but 
it  will  rest  you  to  lie  down,  and  we  shall  have  a  long  ride 
before  us  to-morrow." 

Patsey  nodded,  but  after  he  had  gone  out  she  did  not  lie 
down,  but  threw  herself  on  her  knees  by  the  couch,  and 
prayed  for  the  safety  of  her  husband.  Hour  after  hour 
passed.  From  time  to  time  Leigh  returned,  and  towards 
morning  told  Patsey  that  it  was  time  that  they  should 
mount. 

"Our  men  have  not  begun  to  give  way  yet,"  he  said, 
"  but  they  say  that  Kleber's  division  has  just  arrived. 
There  is  a  lull  in  the  fighting  at  present,  but  no  doubt  they 


IN   DISGUISE  265 

will  relieve  the  division  that  has  been  fighting  all  night, 
and  our  men  cannot  hope  to  hold  out  for  long.  I  have  just 
brought  the  horses  round  to  the  door.  Now,  I  will  strap 
the  valises  on  while  you  wrap  Louis  up  warmly.'* 

In  five  minutes  they  started  for  the  point  agreed  on. 
Before  they  reached  it,  the  firing  broke  out  again  with 
increased  violence.  In  an  hour  numbers  of  men  began  to 
make  their  way  past  them.  One  of  them  halted ;  he  was 
one  of  Jean's  tenants. 

"Ah  I  madame,"  he  said,  as  he  recognized  her  —  for  it  was 
now  broad  daylight  —  "I  fear  that  all  is  lost.  You  had  best 
ride  at  once  ;  the  Blues  will  not  come  just  yet,  for  la  Roche- 
jaquelein,  with  four  or  five  hundred  of  his  best  followers, 
will  hold  the  place  till  the  last,  so  as  to  give  us  time  to  get 
away." 

"  Did  you  see  my  husband,  Leroux?  " 

"He  was  with  the  general,  madame.  They  and  the 
horsemen  charged  again  and  again  whenever  the  Blues 
pushed   forward." 

"  Thank  God  he  is  safe  so  far  ! "  Patsey  said.  "  Good-bye, 
Leroux  ;  we  may  not  meet  again." 

"  We  shall  meet  in  heaven,  madame,"  the  man  said 
reverently.  "They  may  take  away  our  country,  they  may 
kill  our  curds,  they  may  destroy  our  churches,  but  they  can- 
not take  away  our  God.  May  He  protect  you,  madame  !  " 
and,  pressing  the  hand  she  held  out  to  him,  he  hurried 
on. 

Faster  and  faster  the  fugitives  passed  them,  but  for  an 
hour  the  combat  continued  unabated;  then  the  exulting 
shouts  of  the  Blues  showed  that  they  were  making  way. 
The  gallant  band  of  Vendeans  were  not,  indeed,  retiring, 
but  they  were  being  annihilated.  Patsey  had  said  but 
little  during  the   anxious  time  of  waiting.     From  time  to 


266  NO   SURRENDER 

time  she  murmured,  "  Will  he  never  come  ?  Oh,  God,  send 
him  to  us  !  " 

Presently  a  mounted  officer  rode  past. 

"  Ride  on  !  ride  on  !  "  he  shouted.  "  The  Blues  will  be 
here  in  a  minute  ! " 

"  We  must  go,  Patsey,"  Leigh  said,  as,  without  drawing 
rein,  the  officer  rode  on. 

"  No,  no ;  wait  a  few  minutes,  Leigh.  He  will  surely 
come  soon." 

Presently,  however,  a  number  of  peasants,  their  faces 
blackened  with  powder,  ran  past.  "  The  Blues  are  on  our 
heels!"  they  shouted.  "  They  will  be  here  in  a  minute; 
they  are  but  a  hundred  yards  away." 

"  Come,  Patsey,"  Leigh  said.  "  Remember  your  promise. 
We  must  go ;  it  is  madness  waiting  any  longer."  And  as 
he  spoke  one  of  the  peasants,  running  past,  fell  dead,  shot 
by  a  musket-ball  from  the  rear.  Leigh  seized  Patsey's 
bridle,  and,  setting  his  own  horse  in  motion,  they  rode  on. 
They  were  but  just  in  time,  for  before  they  had  ridden  two 
hundred  yards  Leigh,  looking  round,  saw  the  Republicans 
issuing  from  the  town. 

"  Pull  yourself  together,  Patsey !  "  Leigh  exclaimed.  "  We 
may  have  their  cavalry  after  us  in  a  minute  or  two.  Re- 
member, Jean  trusts  you  to  carry  out  his  instructions." 

Patsey  drew  herself  up,  struck  the  horse  with  her  whip, 
and  galloped  on  at  full  speed.  They  soon  left  the  road 
followed  by  the  rest  of  the  fugitives,  and  turned  down  one 
leading  east.  The  din  of  battle  had  ceased  now,  but  a 
scattered  fire  of  musketry  showed  that  the  enemy  were 
engaged  in  their  usual  work  of  shooting  all  who  fell  into 
their  hands.  After  riding  for  an  hour  at  full  speed  they 
drew  rein  at  a  wood,  and,  entering  it,  dismounted  and  put 
on  their   disguises.     They  had   no    fear   now   of   pursuit. 


IN   DISGUISE  267 

The  enemy's  cavalry  must  have  made  a  very  long  march 
to  reach  the  town,  and  their  horses  must  be  worn  out  by 
their  previous  exertions,  while  their  own  had  had  forty- 
eight  hours'  rest,  during  which  time  they  had  been  well  fed 
and  cared  for.  Moreover,  any  pursuit  that  was  made  would 
be  in  the  direction  taken  by  the  bulk  of  the  fugitives. 
Mounting  again,  they  rode  on.  It  was  but  a  narrow  country 
road  that  they  were  traversing,  and  during  the  day  they 
only  passed  through  two  or  three  small  hamlets. 

"  Are  the  brigands  coming  this  way  ?  "  they  were  asked. 

"  No,'^  Leigh  replied.  **  They  are  fighting  at  Le  Mans.  If 
they  are  beaten  they  won't  come  this  way,  but  will  make 
south.  We  thought  it  best  to  leave  the  town.  When  fight- 
ing is  going  on  in  the  streets  it  is  time  for  quiet  people  to 
be  off." 

They  rode  forty  miles  before  night  and  then  entered  a 
wood,  having  agreed  that,  until  they  got  farther  away  from 
the  scene  of  action,  and  struck  the  road  running  south,  it 
would  be  better  not  to  enter  any  place  where  they  would  be 
questioned.  Choosing  an  open  space  among  the  trees,  Leigh 
took  off  the  bridles  to  let  the  horses  pluck  what  grass  they 
could,  after  giving  to  each  a  hunch  of  bread  from  their  store. 
Then  he  returned  with  the  blankets  that  had  been  rolled  up 
and  fastened  behind  the  saddles. 

"  Now,  Patsey,  you  must  eat  something  and  drink  some 
wine.  You  must  keep  up  your  strength  for  the  sake  of 
Louis  and  Jean." 

Patsey  had  spoken  very  few  words  during  the  day.  She 
shook  her  head.  "  I  will  try  for  Louis's  sake,"  she  said ; 
^^as  to  Jean — "  and  she  stopped. 

"  As  to  Jean,"  he  said,  "  we  have  every  reason  to  hope  for 
the  best.  Many  things  may  have  happened  to  prevent  his 
joining  us.    The  Blues   may  have  pushed  in  between  his 


268  NO   SURRENDER 

party  and  us,  and  he  may  have  found  that  he  could  not  re- 
join us.  His  horse  may  have  been  shot  and  he  obHged  to 
fly  on  foot.  He  has  gone  through  all  these  battle  from  the 
first,  and  has  never  been  wounded.  Why  should  we  suppose 
that  he  has  not  done  the  same  now  ?  I  feel  sure  that  if  he 
had  lost  his  horse  he  would  not  have  tried  to  join  us,  for  he 
would  have  thought  that  he  would  have  hampered  our  escape. 
Jean  is  full  of  resources,  and  has  everything  in  his  favour. 
He  is  not  like  the  others,  who  have  but  one  aim,  to  get  back 
to  La  Vendue  and  die  there,  and  whose  way  is  barred  by  the 
Loire.  He  has  all  France  open  to  him,  and  if  he  gains  a  port 
has  but  to  get  some  sailor  clothes  to  pass  unnoticed.  He 
is  well  provided  with  money,  and  has  everything  in  his 
favour.  When  he  once  gets  away  from  Le  Mans,  the  road 
would  be  open,  for  we  may  be  sure  that  the  enemy  will  all 
gather  in  the  rear  of  the  remains  of  our  army.'* 

"  I  see  all  that,"  Patsey  said ;  *'  and  if  I  were  but  sure 
that  he  got  safely  away  I  should  feel  comparatively  easy. 
However,  Leigh,  I  will  try  and  look  at  the  best  side  of  things. 
If  Jean  is  killed  he  has  died  gloriously,  doing  his  duty  till 
the  last.     If  he  is  not,  he  will  some  day  be  restored  to  me." 

"  That  is  right,  dear,"  he  said.  "  You  have  always  been 
so  hopeful  and  cheery  through  all  this  business  that  I  am 
sure  you  will  keep  up  your  courage  now.  We  have  every 
reason  to  hope,  and  for  my  part  I  confidently  expect  to  see 
Jean  safe  and  sound  when  we  arrive  home.  Now  let  us  set 
to  ;  we  both  want  something  badly." 

Patsey  did  her  best,  and  being  indeed  faint  from  hunger, 
having  eaten  nothing  since  the  evening  before,  she  felt  all 
the  better  and  stronger  when  she  had  finished  her  meal,  and 
was  able  to  chatter  cheerfully  to  little  Louis,  who  had  ridden 
before  Leigh  all  day,  and  who  was  now  just  beginning  to 
talk.     Then  they  spread  a  blanket  on  the  ground,  and,  lying 


IN   DISGUISE  269 

down  together  for  warmth,  covered  themselves  with  the  rest 
of  their  wraps ;  and  Leigh  was  glad  to  find  by  her  steady 
breathing  that  the  fatigue  of  the  last  twenty-four  hours 
had  sufficed  to  send  his  sister  to  sleep  in  spite  of  her  grief 
at  her  separation  from  her  husband.  The  next  day  they 
crossed  the  road  leading  to  Tours,  between  Chateaudun  and 
Chartres.  Once  over  this  there  was  no  longer  any  occasion 
for  haste.  There  was  no  fear  of  their  connection  with  the 
struggle  in  the  west  being  suspected,  and  they  had  now 
only  to  face  the  troubles  consequent  on  travelling  unpro- 
vided with  proper  papers. 

Late  that  evening  they  entered  the  town  of  Artenay,  on 
the  main  road  from  Paris  to  Orleans,  coming  down  upon 
it  from  the  north  side.  Here  they  entered  a  quiet  inn. 
The  landlord  was  a  jovial,  pleasant-faced  man  of  some  sixty 
years  of  age,  and  his  wife  a  kind,  motherly-looking  woman. 
As  usual,  the  travellers  signed  the  names  they  had  agreed 
upon  in  the  book  kept  for  the  purpose,  Patsey  retaining  her 
own  name,  and  he  signing  as  Lucien  Porson. 

The  landlady,  seeing  that  Patsey  was  completely  worn  out, 
at  once  took  her  off  to  her  room. 

'^  Ah  !  I  thought  that  monseiur  was  too  young  to  be 
madame's  husband,"  the  landlord  said. 

Leigh  laughed.  "  I  am  her  brother,"  he  said.  "  Her 
husband  is  a  sailor,  and  she  is  to  join  him  at  Toulon." 

"  I  see  the  resemblance,"  the  landlord  said.  "  It  is  a  long 
journey  indeed  for  her,  and  with  a  child  under  two  years 
old,  and  in  such  weather. 

*'  But  you  forget  that  such  a  place  as  Toulon  no  longer 
exists.  It  has  been  decreed  that  the  town  that  received 
the  English  and  resisted  the  Republic  is  to  be  altogether 
destroyed,  except  of  course  the  arsenal,  and  is  henceforth 
to  be  known  as  '  the  town  without  a  name.' " 


270  NO   SURRENDER 

The  tone,  rather  than  the  words,  convinced  Leigh  that  his 
host  was  not  an  admirer  of  the  present  state  of  things. 
Leigh  shrugged  his  shoulders  sHghtly,  and  said,  with  a  smile, 
**  Perhaps  France  will  change  her  own  name.  Surely  a  Re- 
public cannot  put  up  with  the  name  that  has  been  associated 
for  centuries  with  kings." 

The  landlord  brought  his  hand  down  with  a  heavy  smack 
on  Leigh's  shoulder.  "Ah,"  he  said,  "I  see  that  you  are 
too  young,  as  I  am  too  old,  to  care  for  the  present  changes. 
With  anyone  in  the  town  I  should  not  venture  to  say  any- 
thing, but  I  am  sure  by  your  face  that  you  can  be  trusted." 

"  And  I  can  say  the  same  to  you,  landlord." 

"Are  your  papers,  by  the  by,  in  good  order?" 

"  Frankly,  we  have  no  papers." 

The  landlord  gave  a  low  whistle  expressive  of  surprise 
and  consternation.  "  And  how  do  you  expect  to  travel, 
monsieur?  How  you  have  got  so  far  as  this  I  cannot  make 
out,  for  at  any  tavern  where  you  put  up  you  might  of  course 
have  been  asked  for  them." 

"  We  have  not  put  up  at  any  towns  as  yet,  but  have  slept 
at  little  places  where  no  questions  were  asked." 

"  But  you  can't  get  on  like  that,  monsieur.  Even  in  the 
small  villages  they  are  on  the  watch  for  suspected  persons. 
You  must  have  papers  of  some  sort." 

"  That  is  all  very  well,"  Leigh  said ;  "  the  question  is, 
where  to  get  them?" 

"  What  story  do  you  mean  to  tell  ?  " 

"  If  we  had  been  stopped  anywhere  on  our  way  here 
we  should  have  said  that  we  belonged  to  Le  Mans ;  that,  like 
most  of  the  other  inhabitants,  we  fled  before  the  Vendeans 
entered,  and  in  such  haste  that  I  forgot  all  about  papers,  and 
indeed  could  not  have  got  them  had  I  thought  of  it,  as  all 
the  authorities  had  fled  before  we  di4." 


IN   DISGUISE  271 

"That  story,  added  to  your  appearance  and  that  of 
madame  as  respectable  citizens,  might  succeed  sometimes 
with  those  who  are  not  anxious  to  show  their  zeal ;  but  as 
most  of  these  functionaries  are  so,  you  would  probably,  if 
it  was  a  village,  be  sent  on  under  a  guard  to  the  next  town, 
and  if  it  were  a  town  would  be  thrown  into  prison.  And 
you  know,  to  get  in  a  prison  in  our  days  is  — " 

*'  Equivalent  to  a  sentence  of  death,"  Leigh  put  in  as  he 
hesitated. 

"  You  must  get  papers  somehow  —  something  that  would 
pass  at  any  rate  in  the  villages,  where  as  often  as  not  there 
is  not  a  man  who  can  read.  I  will  see  what  I  can  do  ;  a 
cousin  of  mine  is  clerk  to  the  mayor.  He  is  a  good  fellow, 
though  he  has  to  pretend  to  be  a  violent  supporter  of  the 
Convention.  I  don't  know  how  you  are  situated,  monsieur, 
but  times  are  hard,  and  all  salaries  terribly  in  arrears ;  and 
when  they  are  paid  it  is  in  assignats,  and  I  need  hardly 
say  that  when  you  pay  in  assignats  you  don't  buy  cheap." 

"We  have  money,"  Leigh  said,  "and  I  would  pay  any 
reasonable  sum  in  gold  for  proper  papers." 

"  Sapristi !  you  might  almost  tempt  the  maire  himself  by 
offering  him  gold.  Only  he  would  suspect  that  you  must 
have  more  hidden  away,  and  that  by  arresting  you,  he  could 
make  himself  master  of  the  whole  instead  of  only  a  part ; 
but  since  you  offer  gold  I  have  no  doubt  that  my  cousin 
would  not  mind  running  some  little  risk.  How  much  shall 
I  say,  monsieur  ?  " 

"  I  would  if  necessary  give  forty  louis." 

"  That  is  more  than  his  yearly  salary,"  the  innkeeper  said ; 
"  half  of  that  would  be  ample.  I  will  go  to  him  at  once. 
It  is  important  that  you  should  get  papers  of  some  kind, 
for  at  any  moment  anyone  might  come  in  and  demand  to 
see  them." 


272  NO   SURRENDER 

'*  Here  are  ten  louis.     I  have  more  sewn  up  in  my  saddle, 

and  can  give  him  the  other  ten  later  on  when  I  get  an 
opportunity  to  go  to  the  stable  unnoticed." 

"That  will  do  very  well,  monsieur.  I  will  be  off  at 
once." 

It  was  an  hour  before  he  returned,  and  Leigh  and  Patsey 
had  just  finished  supper.  As  there  were  two  or  three  other 
persons  in  the  room  he  said  nothing,  but  signified  by  a  little 
nod  that  he  had  succeeded.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  later, 
the  other  customers,  having  finished  their  meal,  went  out. 

"  Here  are  your  papers,"  he  said  as  he  handed  a  document 
to  Leigh.  It  was  a  printed  form,  blanks  being  left  for  the 
names,  description,  and  the  object  of  journey. 

Arthenay  Mairie^  —  To  all  concerfied,  it  is  hereby  testified 
that  citizen  Lucien  Porson  and  his  sister  citoyenne  Martin,  both 
of  good  repute  and  well  disposed  to  the  Republic,  natives  of  this 
town  of  Arthenay,  are  travelling,  accompanied  by  a  child  of  the 
latter,  to  Marseilles,  whither  they  go  on  family  affairs,  and  to 
join  citoyenne  Martin' s  husband,  a  master  mariner  ofthattoivn. 

The  destination  had  been  altered  when  they  heard  of  the 
state  of  things  at  Toulon.  The  document  was  purposed  to 
be  signed  by  the  maire  under  his  official  seal. 

"  There  is  only  one  difficulty, "  the  landlord  said  as  Leigh 
and  Patsey  warmly  thanked  him,  "  and  that  is,  that  although 
it  will  pass  you  when  you  have  once  left  this  town  it  would 
be  dangerous  to  use  it  here,  and  you  may  at  any  moment  be 
asked  for  it.  But  my  cousin,  who  is  a  charming  fellow, 
pointed  out  the  difficulty  to  me,  and  said,  *  The  best  thing 
will  be  for  me  to  take  a  couple  of  men,  and  pay  the  official 
visit  to  him  myself*  I  expect  that  he  will  be  here  in  a 
few  minutes." 

"  Then,  as  the  stableman  has  gone  out  at  last  —  at  least 


IN   DISGUISE  273 

I  see  no  lights  there  —  I  will  go  and  get  the  rest  of  the 
money." 

"  Yes,  I  met  him  a  hundred  yards  off  on  my  way  back. 
There  is  no  one  about.  I  will  take  a  lantern  and  go  out 
with  you." 

In  ten  minutes  they  returned,  Leigh  having  the  ten  louis 
required  in  his  pocket.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  the 
door  opened,  and  a  man  wearing  the  scarf  which  showed 
him  to  be  an  officer  of  the  municipality  entered,  followed 
by  two  men  with  the  cockade  of  the  Republic  in  their 
hats. 

"  This  is  citizen  Porson  and  citoyenne  Martin,  his  sister," 
the  landlord,   who  accompanied  the  party,  said. 

The  functionary  walked  up  to  the  table  and  said  gruffly, 
**  Your  papers,  citizen."  Leigh  handed  him  the  document. 
He  glanced  through  it. 

"  That  is  right,"  he  said.  "  Citizen  Porson  and  citoyenne 
Martin,  of  the  arrondissement  of  Paris,  travelling  to  Mar- 
seilles, duly  signed  by  the  maire  of  the  arrondissement  and 
duly  sealed.  That  is  all  in  order.  We  are  obliged  to  be  par- 
ticular, citizen ;  there  are  many  ill-disposed  to  the  Republic 
travelling  through  the  country." 

"  Will  you  sit  down,  citizen,  and  take  a  glass  of  wine  with 
me?  Landlord,  draw  two  stoups  of  wine  for  these  two 
good  citizens." 

The  fwo  men  followed  the  landlord  out  to  the  public 
room. 

"  I  «b!hould  think,  Jeannette, "  Leigh  said  to  his  sister, 
"  you  had  better  to  retire  to  bed.  You  have  had  a  long  day's 
ride,  and  must,  I  am  sure,  be  tired  out." 

As  soon  as  she  had  left  the  room  Leigh  dropped  the  ten 
louis  into  the  adjoint's  nand. 

"  I  thank  you  with  all  mv  heart,"  he  said.     "  You  have 


274  NO   SURRENDER 

done  a  good  action,  and  I  can  assure  you  that  it  can  do  no 
harm  to  the  RepubHc,  against  whom  I  have  no  intention  of 
conspiring.  There  is  no  fear,  I  suppose,  that  the  maire's 
signature  may  be  questioned?" 

"  There  is  no  fear  whatever  of  that,  because  the  signature 
is  precisely  similar  to  that  which  occurs  on  all  official  docu- 
ments. The  maire  is  without  doubt  an  excellent  Republican 
and  a  devoted  servant  of  the  Convention,  but  he  is  alto- 
gether ignorant  of  letters,  and  the  consequence  is  that  I  sign 
all  official  documents  for  him.  So  you  see  there  was  no 
trouble  whatever  in  filling  in,  signing,  and  sealing  this  letter. 
The  only  matter  that  concerned  me  was  that  if  by  any 
chance  you  should  be  arrested  as  a  suspect,  possibly  a  de- 
mand might  be  made  as  to  how  you  obtained  this  pass. 
However,  even  that  did  not  trouble  me  greatly,  for  as  I  my- 
self open  and  read  the  maire's  letters,  I  should  have  no 
difficulty  in  keeping  him  altogether  in  the  dark  as  to  the 
purport  of  any  letter  that  might  come,  and  should  myself 
pen  an  answer  with  explanations  which  would  no  doubt 
be  found  satisfactory." 

*'And  now  can  you  tell  me,  sir,  which  in  your  opinion 
would  be  the  best  port  for  me  to  make  to,  to  leave  the 
country  ?     It  matters  little  whether  we  go  by  land  or  sea.'* 

"  It  would  be  more  easy  for  you  to  make  your  way  to  a 
port  than  across  the  frontier,"  the  adjoint  said,  "but  when 
you  reach  a  port  your  difficulties  would  but  begin.  In 
the  first  place,  our  trade  with  foreign  countries  is  almost 
at  a  stand-still,  and  every  vessel  tliat  goes  out  is  rigidly 
searched  for  concealed  emigres.  On  the  other  hand,  once 
across  the  frontier  your  troubles  would  be  at  an  end ;  but 
every  road  is  closely  watched,  every  village  is  on  the  look- 
out, for  the  orders  are  precise  that  all  persons  leaving  France 
shall  be  arrested  and  detained  until  in  a  position  to  prove 


IN   DISGUISE  275 

their  identity,  and  to  place  the  truth  of  the  reason  given  for 
journeying  beyond  all  doubt.  I  do  not  say  that  it  might  not 
be  possible  to  bribe  peasants  to  take  you  by  unfrequented 
paths  over  the  Jura ;  but  the  journey  would  be  arduous  in 
the  extreme,  and  probably  impossible  to  be  performed  on 
horseback.  But,  for  my  part,  if  I  were  in  your  position  and 
desired  to  leave  the  country,  I  should  go  north  instead  of 
south.  I  should  go  in  the  first  place  to  Paris,  stay  there  in 
quiet  lodgings  for  a  little  time  until  you  became  known,  and 
you  might  then  get  your  papers  viseed  to  enable  you  to  con- 
tinue your  journey  to  Calais  or  Dunkirk.  Money  will  go  just 
as  far  among  the  incorruptibles  of  Paris  as  it  will  here.  You 
might  obtain  a  passage  down  the  Seine  to  Rouen  or  Havre." 

"  That  would  certainly  suit  us  best.  I  regret  now  that  I 
had  the  paper  made  out  for  Marseilles." 

"That  can  easily  be  remedied,  monsieur.  If  you  will  walk 
back  with  me  to  the  mairie,  I  will  write  a  fresh  paper  out 
and  destroy  the  one  I  have  given  you.  But  what  shall  I 
say  is  your  object  in  journeying  to  Paris?  You  are  too 
young  to  be  going  to  purchase  goods,  and,  indeed,  would 
hardly  be  taking  a  woman  and  child  with  you  for  such  a 
purpose.  Now,  monsieur,  frankly  tell  me  who  you  are.  1 
have  some  relations  in  Paris,  quiet  bourgeois,  who  keep  a 
small  shop  near  the  markets.  If  I  were  to  give  you  a  letter 
to  them,  saying  that  you  have  business  in  Paris,  and  have 
asked  me  to  recommend  someone  who  would  provide  you 
with  quiet  lodgings,  no  doubt  they  would  willingly  take  you 
in.  But  I  would  not  involve  them  in  danger.  You  might 
be  recognised  as  being  members  of  some  family  who  are 
proscribed,  and  in  that  case  not  only  would  my  friends  get 
into  trouble,  but,  as  they  would,  of  course,  say  that  you  were 
recommended  to  them  by  me,  I  might  find  myself  in  a  very 
unpleasant  position." 


276  NO   SURRENDER 

"There  is  no  fear  of  anything  of  that  sort.  I  and  my 
sister  are  both  Enghsh.  She  married  the  son  of  a  merchant 
at  Nantes,  and  I  came  over  with  her  to  learn  the  business. 
There  have,  as  you  know,  been  troubles  in  that  part  of 
France.  We  endeavoured  to  escape,  but  she  was  separated 
from  her  husband,  who  has,  I  greatly  fear,  been  killed,  and 
we,  of  course,  are  both  anxious  to  rejoin  our  family  in 
England." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  in  France,  monsieur?  You 
speak  the  language  well." 

"  We  have  been  over  here  nearly  three  years." 

"  Well,  I  do  not  think  that  there  is  any  risk,  unless,  of 
course,  you  are  caught  in  the  act  of  trying  to  make  your 
escape.  But  I  think  that  it  would  be  as  well  that  my  friends 
should  be  prepared  for  your  coming.  I  know  a  man  who  is 
leaving  for  Paris  to-morrow.  I  will  give  him  my  letter,  and 
ask  him  to  deliver  it  personally  as  soon  as  he  gets  there ; 
then  you  can  follow  twenty-four  hours  later.  Now  that  it  is 
known  that  I  have  examined  your  papers  and  found  them 
correct,  there  will  be  no  further  inquiry  about  you,  and,  at 
any  rate,  you  could  stay  here  for  a  day  or  two  without  any 
questions  being  asked." 

"  That  would  be  an  admirable  plan,  monsieur ;  and  I  can- 
not tell  you  how  much  I  am  obliged  to  you." 

"  Say  no  more  about  that,  monsieur ;  you  have  paid  me 
well  for  it ;  and  moreover,  I  am  not  a  bad  fellow,  though  at 
present  I  am  obliged  to  appear  to  be  a  strong  supporter  of 
the  people  in  Paris.  Now,  if  you  will  put  on  your  hat  and 
come  along  with  me,  I  will  leave  you  a  short  distance  from 
the  hotel  de  ville,  to  which  I  have  access  at  all  hours.  I 
shall,  of  course,  simply  put  in  the  passport,  that  you  are 
travelling  to  Paris  on  private  matters,  and  that  you  will  stay 
with  your  friend,  citizen  Tourrier,  in  the  rue  des  Halles." 


IN   DISGUISE  277 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  Leigh  returned  to  the  auberge 
furnished  with  the  required  paper.  The  adjoint  had  said  on 
handing  it  to  him,  "  I  shall  not  come  round  to-morrow.  We 
met  as  strangers  yesterday,  and  it  is  as  well  I  should  not 
appear  to  be  intimate  with  you.  But  should  you  find  your- 
self in  any  difficulty,  send  for  me  at  once,  and  I  will  soon 
set  matters  right." 

"Is  it  all  satisfactorily  arranged,  monsieur?"  the  hotel- 
keeper  asked  when  Leigh  returned. 

"  Perfectly.  Your  friend  has  done  even  more  than  he 
promised."  And  he  told  him  of  the  change  that  had  been 
made  in  the  plans. 

"  That  is  certainly  better.  I  have  been  wondering  myself 
how  you  would  ever  be  able  to  get  away  from  Marseilles. 
Now  it  seems  comparatively  easy.  I  have  no  doubt  that  my 
cousin's  friends  in  Paris  will  be  able  to  get  you  another  pass, 
or  to  put  you  in  the  way  of  travelling  to  one  of  the  ports, 
though  no  doubt  it  will  be  almost  as  difficult  to  get  away 
from  there  as  from  Marseilles." 

"  I  think  that  could  be  managed,  landlord.  I  am  a  pretty 
good  sailor,  and  there  ought  to  be  no  great  difficulty  in 
getting  hold  of  a  boat  and  making  out  to  sea,  and  when 
once  away,  I  could  steer  for  England,  or  get  on  board  some 
vessel  bound  there." 

He  tapped  at  his  sister's  door.     She  was  still  up. 

"  You  are  very  late,  Leigh." 

"  Yes,  but  you  will  be  able  to  sleep  as  long  as  you  like 
to-morrow,  as  we  are  not  going  to  start  till  next  day,  and 
are  then  going  north  instead  of  south.  Our  paper  has 
been  changed  for  Paris  instead  of  Marseilles,  and  we  are 
going  to  the  house  of  a  cousin  of  the  man  who  gave  me  the 
pass,  so  we  shall  be  safe  so  far,  and  ought  to  have  no  diffi- 
culty whatever  in  journeying  from  there  either  to  Havre  or 


278  NO   SURRENDER 

one  of  the  northern  ports.     I  will  tell  you  all  about  it  to. 
morrow." 

They  passed  the  next  day  quietly,  and  both  felt  better 
for  the  short  rest.  In  addition  to  the  pass,  the  adjoint 
had  given  Leigh  a  note  to  his  cousin.  It  was  unsealed,  and 
read ; 

My  dear  Cousin^ 

The  bearer  of  this  is  Monsieur  Porson^  and  his  sister ^ 
Madame  Martin^  of  whom  I  wrote  to  you.  You  will  find 
them  amiable  people^  who  will  give  you  but  little  trouble.  1 
have  assured  them  that  they  will  find  themselves  very  comfort- 
able with  you,  and  that  you  will  do  all  in  your  power  for 
t hem ^  for  the  sake  of  your  affectionate  cousin, 

SIMON-  VALLES, 
Adjoint  to  the  maire  of  Arthenay. 

They  journeyed  by  easy  stages,  stopping  at  Etampes, 
Arpajon,  and  Longjumeau,  and  rode  on  the  fourth  day  into 
Paris.  They  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  shop  of 
Monsieur  Tourrier.  It  was  a  grocer's,  and  as  soon  as  they 
alighted  from  their  horses  its  owner  came  out  and  greeted 
them  heartily. 

"  Madame  and  monsieur  are  both  most  welcome,"  he 
said.  ''  I  have  received  a  letter  from  my  cousin  Simon.  I 
am  glad  indeed  to  receive  his  friends.  Fortunately  our 
rooms  upstairs  are  unlet.  Strangers  are  rare  in  Paris  at 
present." 

He  called  a  boy  from  the  shop  and  told  him  to  show 
Leigh  the  way  to  some  stables  near. 

He  then  entered  the  house,  accompanied  by  Patsey  with 
her  child.  Here  she  was  received  by  Madame  Tourrier,  a 
plump-faced  business-like  woman,  and  was  not  long  in  find- 
ing out  that  she  was  the  real  head  of  the  establishment. 


IN   DISGUISE  279 

"  I  have  got  the  rooms  ready  for  you,"  she  said.  "  We 
were  surprised,  indeed,  to  get  a  letter  from  Simon  Valles, 
for  he  is  a  poor  correspondent,  though  he  generally  comes  to 
stay  with  us  for  three  days  once  a  year.  He  is  a  good 
fellow,  but  it  is  a  pity  that  he  did  not  go  into  trade.  He 
would  have  done  better  for  himself  than  by  becoming  ad- 
joint to  the  maire  of  Arthenay.  It  has  a  high  sound,  but  in 
these  days,  when  men  are  paid  their  salaries  in  assignats, 
it  is  but  a  poor  living.  However,  I  suppose  that  it  is  an 
easy  life,  for  I  don't  think  hard  work  would  suit  Simon. 
The  last  time  he  was  up  we  tried  to  persuade  him  that 
he  would  do  better  here,  but  he  laughed  and  said  that 
people's  heads  were  safer  in  Arthenay  than  they  were  in 
Paris.  But  that  is  folly ;  the  Convention  does  not  trouble 
itself  with  small  shopkeepers.  It  knows  well  enough  that 
we  have  work  enough  to  do  to  earn  our  living  without 
troubling  ourselves  about  politics ;  yet,  if  the  truth  were 
known,  a  good  many  of  us  are  better  to  do  than  some  of 
those  they  call  aristocrats.  This  is  a  busy  quarter,  you  see, 
and  we  are  close  to  the  markets,  and  the  country  people 
who  come  in  know  that  we  sell  good  groceries,  and  on 
cheaper  terms  than  they  can  get  them  in  their  villages. 
We  should  do  better  still  if  my  husband  would  but  bestir 
himself;  but  men  are  poor  creatures,  and  I  don't  know  what 
would  become  of  them  if  they  had  not  us  women  to  look 
after  their  affairs." 

They  now  reached  the  rooms,  which  were  small  but 
comfortable,  and  the  price  which  Madame  Tourrier  named 
seemed  to  Patsey  to  be  very  moderate. 

"  You  see,  your  room  is  furnished  as  a  sitting-room  also, 
madame,  and  you  and  your  brother  can  talk  over  your 
affairs  here.  As  to  your  meals,  I  could  provide  your  cafe  au 
lait  in  the  morning,  but  I  can't  undertake  to  cook  for  you. 


280  NO   SURRENDER 

But  there  are  many  good  places  where  you  can  obtain  your 
meals  at  a  cheap  rate  in  the  neighbourhood.  How  long  do 
you  expect  to  remain  in  Paris?" 

"  That  I  cannot  say  at  present.  My  husband  is  a  sailor, 
but  I  have  not  heard  from  him  for  a  long  time.  At 
Arthenay  there  is  but  small  opportunity  of  learning  what 
happens  outside,  and  it  may  be  that  I  shall  have  to  travel 
to  Havre  to  obtain  news  of  him,  although  I  am  troubled 
greatly  by  the  fear  that  his  ship  has  been  lost,  or  captured 
by  the  English.  We  have  never  been  in  Paris  before,  and 
my  brother  naturally  wishes  to  stay  a  short  time  to  see  the 
sights." 

Madame  Tourrier  shook  her  head.  **  There  are  but  few 
sights  to  see,"  she  said ;  "  the  churches  are  all  closed,  or  at 
least  are  turned  into  meeting-places  and  clubs.  It  is  not 
as  it  was  before  the  troubles  began ;  there  are  few  amuse- 
ments, and  no  reviews  or  pageants.  I  do  not  say  that  it 
is  not  better  so ;  I  have  no  opinion  on  such  subjects.  I 
have  never  once  been  to  the  hall  of  representatives,  I  have 
no  time  for  such  follies,  and  except  on  Sunday  afternoons,  I 
never  stir  out  of  doors.  Still,  no  doubt,  it  will  all  be  new 
to  him,  and  as  you  have  horses  you  can  ride  over  to  Ver- 
sailles and  other  places  round.  There  is  not  much  of  that 
now ;  people  think  of  nothing  but  the  Convention,  talk  of 
nothing  but  of  the  speeches  there,  and  of  Robespierre  and 
St.  Just  and  Danton.  It  seems  to  me  that  they  are  always 
quarrelling,  and  that  nothing  much  comes  of  it.  Now,  if  you 
will  excuse  me,  madame,  I  will  go  down  to  the  shop  again. 
My  husband  cannot  be  trusted  there  a  minute,  and  if  my 
back  is  turned  he  will  be  selling  the  best  sugar  for  the  price 
of  the  worst,  then  we  shall  lose  money,  or  the  worst  sugar 
for  the  price  of  the  best,  and  then  we  shall  lose  customers." 

So  saying  she    hurried    away.     In  a  few  minutes   Leigh 


IN   DISGUISE  281 

came  up.  "  I  was  told  where  to  find  you,"  he  said. 
*'  Madame  is  in  the  thick  of  business,  and  there  were  half 
a  dozen  customers  waiting  to  be  served.  Monsieur  was 
standing  a  few  yards  away  from  the  front  of  the  shop.  It 
was  he  who  gave  me  instructions  ^  for  finding  your  room. 

"  '  It  is  best,'  he  said,  '  that  madame  should  be  asked  no 
questions  while  she  is  busy.  I  always  go  out  myself  when 
customers  come  in.  She  is  one  of  the  best  of  wives,  and 
manages  affairs  excellently,  but  her  temper  is  short.  She 
likes  to  do  things  her  own  way,  and  as  it  pleases  her  I 
never  interfere  with  her.'  " 

"  I  think  he  is  wise  not  to  do  so,"  Patsey  laughed. 
"  I  can  see  already  that  she  is  mistress  of  the  establishment. 
But  from  what  I  have  seen  at  Nantes  I  think  that  it  is 
generally  the  women  who  look  after  the  shops  and  mind 
the  businesses.  However,  though  she  speaks  sharply,  I 
should  say  that  she  is  a  kind-hearted  woman.  However, 
we  may  be  very  thankful  that  we  have  obtained  a  shelter 
where  we  can  live  safely  and  quietly  until  we  have  fixed 
on  our  plans  for  the  future." 

But  although  Monsieur  Tourrier  was,  in  all  matters  con- 
nected with  the  business,  but  as  a  child  in  the  hands  of  his 
wife,  he  was  far  better  acquainted  with  what  was  passing 
around  them,  and  when  Leigh  mentioned  to  him  that  he 
intended  to  ride  out  to  Versailles,  he  at  once  warned  him 
against  doing  so. 

"  My  dear  monsieur,"  he  said,  "  I  know  nothing  of  the 
state  of  things  at  Arthenay,  and  for  aught  I  know  people 
may  go  out  riding  for  pleasure  there,  but  it  would  be  little 
short  of  madness  to  attempt  such  a  thing  here.  At  present 
things  have  got  to  such  a  state,  that  for  any  man  to  seem 
richer  than  another  is  in  itself  a  crime.  Here  all  must  be 
on  an  equality.     Were  you  to  ride  out,  every  man  you  pass 


282  NO  SURRENDER 

would  look  askance  at  you.  At  the  first  village  through 
which  you  rode  you  would  be  arrested,  and  to  be  arrested 
at  present  is  to  be  condemned.  There  are  no  questions 
asked,  the  prisoners  are  brought  in  in  bunches,  and  are 
condemned  wholesale.  I  say  nothing  against  the  condem- 
nation of  the  aristocrats,  but  when  perhaps  two  or  three 
aristocrats  are  brought  up  with  half  a  dozen  journalists, 
and  a  dozen  others  who  may  have  been  arrested  merely 
out  of  spite,  and  are  all  condemned  in  five  minutes,  it  is 
clear  that  the  only  way  to  live  is  to  avoid  being  arrested* 
and  the  only  way  to  avoid  being  arrested  is  to  avoid 
attracting  attention. 

"  If  you  were  really  going  on  a  matter  of  business  it 
would  be  different,  but  to  ride  to  Versailles  merely  to  see 
the  place  would  be  regarded  as  ample  proof  that  you  were 
an  aristocrat ;  and  no  one  would  regard  your  papers  as  any- 
thing but  a  proof  that  these  had  been  obtained  by  fraud, 
and  that  you  were  either  an  aristocrat,  or  a  spy  of  Pitt's, 
or  a  Girondist,  and  certainly  an  enemy  of  the  Convention. 
Therefore,  monsieur,  if  you  wish  to  go  anywhere,  walk,  or 
go  out  in  a  market  cart,  for  to  ride  might  be  fatal." 

"  I  will  take  your  advice,"  Leigh  said.  "  I  did  not  think 
that  things  were  so  bad  as  that." 

"  They  could  not  be  worse,  monsieur ;  it  would  be  impos- 
sible. But  we  who  are  quiet  men  think  that  it  cannot  go 
on  much  longer ;  even  the  sansculottes  are  getting  tired  of 
bloodshed,  there  is  no  longer  a  great  crowd  to  see  the 
executions,  and  the  tumbrils  pass  along  without  insults  and 
imprecations  being  hurled  against  the  prisoners. 

"  The  men  of  the  Convention,  having  killed  all  the  Giron- 
dists, are  now  quarrelling  among  themselves.  Robespierre 
is  still  all-powerful,  but  the  party  opposed  to  him  are  gain- 
ing in  strength,  and  there  is  a  feeling  that  ere  long  there 


A    FRIEND   AT   LAST  283 

will  be  a  terrible  struggle  between  them,  and  if  Robespierre 
is  beaten,  there  are  many  of  us  who  think  that  the  reign 
of  terror  will  come  to  an  end.  We  who  are  too  insignificant 
to  be  watched,  talk  these  things  over  together  when  we 
gather  at  our  cafe,  and  there  is  no  one  but  ourselves 
present,  and  even  then  we  talk  only  in  whispers ;  but  we 
all  live  in  hopes  of  a  change,  and  any  change  must  surely 
be  for  the  better.'^ 


CHAPTER  XVI 

A   FRIEND  AT  LAST 

DAY  after  day  Leigh  went  out  into  the  town.  More 
than  once  he  saw  the  fatal  tumbrils  going  along  in  the 
distance,  but  he  always  turned  and  walked  in  the  opposite 
direction.  Once  or  twice,  having  changed  his  clothes  for 
those  of  a  workman,  he  fought  his  way  into  the  public 
galleries  of  the  Convention  and  listened  to  the  speeches,  in 
which  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  principal  object  of  each 
speaker  was  to  exceed  those  who  had  gone  before  him  in 
violence,  and  that  the  most  violent  was  the  most  loudly 
applauded,  both  by  the  galleries  and  the  Assembly.  Patsey 
was  most  anxious  to  be  off,  but  he  urged  that  it  would  not 
do  to  show  haste.  She  did  not  leave  the  house  at  all, 
while  he  was  out  almost  all  day.  At  the  end  of  the  fort- 
night he  told  Monsieur  Tourrier  that  he  had  now  finished 
his  business,  and  asked  him  if  he  could  obtain  from  the 
maire  of  the  arrondissement  a  pass  down  to  Havre. 

"  It  is  a  pity  that  you  did  not  get  your  pass  direct  from 
Arthenay,'*  he  said.  "You  say  that  your  sister  wants  to 
make  inquiries  about  a  husband  there,  and  that  you  are 
taking  her  down,  and  you  also  say  that  you  are  a  sailor." 


284  NO   SURRENDER 

"  Yes." 

"Then,  I  should  think  that  the  best  thing  for  you  would 
be  to  dress  yourself  as  a  sailor  again ;  it  will  seem  more 
natural  than  for  you  to  be  in  that  civilian  dress.  I  can  go 
with  you  and  say  that  you  were  strongly  recommended  to 
me  by  the  maire's  adjoint  at  Arthenay,  and  that  your  papers 
are  all  en  regie.  If  he  asks  why  you  did  not  have  your 
papers  made  out  in  the  first  place  to  Havre,  say  that  you 
had  hoped  to  have  been  joined  by  your  brother-in-law  here, 
but  as  he  has  not  arrived,  your  sister  is  anxious  about  him, 
and  wishes  therefore  to  go  on  to  Havre,  which  indeed  he 
has  requested  her  to  do,  as  it  was  uncertain  whether  he 
would  be  able  to  leave  his  ship.  I  know,  of  course,  that  it 
is  all  right,  or  my  cousin  would  not  have  recommended  you 
so  strongly  to  me,  but  in  these  days  everyone  is  suspicious, 
and  one  cannot  be  too  cautious.  I  will  get  one  of  the 
market  authorities  to  go  up  with  me ;  I  am  well  known  to 
them  all,  and  'tis  likely  that  none  of  the  people  at  the 
mairie  will  know  me,  seeing  that  I  am  a  quiet  man  and 
keep  myself  to  myself." 

Leigh  had  no  trouble  in  buying  a  sailor's  dress  at  a  shop 
down  by  the  wharves,  and  having  put  this  on  went  up  with 
Monsieur  Tourrier  and  one  of  the  market  officers  to  the 
mairie.  As  the  former  had  anticipated,  there  was  no  diffi- 
culty. Leigh's  pass  was  examined.  The  market  official 
testified  to  the  grocer  as  being  a  well-known  citizen,  doing 
business  with  the  market  people,  and  taking  no  part  in 
public  affairs,  while  Monsieur  Tourrier  showed  the  letter 
that  he  had  received  from  his  cousin  the  adjoint  at 
Arthenay. 

"  What  is  the  name  of  the  ship  which  your  sister's  husband 
commands?"  the  maire  asked. 

"  The   Henriette,  a   lugger.     Formerly  she   traded   with 


A    FRIEND    AT    LAST  285 

England,  but  since  the  war  broke  out  she  trades  between 
the  ports  on   our  western  coast." 

"  And  you  have  been  a  sailor  on  board  her?  " 

"  Yes,  citizen." 

The  maire  nodded,  and  made  out  the  pass  for  Jeannette 
Martin,  travelling  to  join  her  husband,  the  captain  of  the 
lugger  Henriette ;  for  her  brother,  Lucien  Porson  ;  and  for 
Louis  Martin,  aged  two  years,  son  of  the  above-named 
citoyenne  Martin. 

As  they  agreed  that  it  would  now  be  best  to  travel  by 
water,  Leigh  next  went  to  the  stables,  and  as  the  horses 
were  both  good  ones,  obtained  a  fair  price  for  them.  The 
next  morning  they  went  on  board  a  sailing  craft  going 
down  the  river,  and  after  a  cordial  adieu  from  their  host 
and  hostess,  and  a  promise  to  take  up  their  abode  there  on 
their  return  through  Paris,  they  went  on  board.  Leigh  had 
sold  the  saddles  with  the  horses,  having  on  the  journey  to 
Paris  removed  the  bundles  of  assignats  concealed  in 
them. 

The  accommodation  on  board  was  very  fair.  Patsey 
occupied  a  roomy  cabin  aft,  the  rest  slept  in  a  large 
cabin  forward ;  for  before  the  troubles  began  the  majority 
of  people  travelling  from  Paris  down  to  Rouen  or  Havre 
went  by  water,  and  although  the  boats  were  mainly 
constructed  for  the  carriage  of  merchandise,  the  convey- 
ance of  passengers  formed  an  important  part  of  the  profits. 
At  present,  however,  there  was  but  little  travelling,  and 
Patsey  had  the  women's  cabin  to  herself;  while  one 
other  male  messenger,  with  the  master  and  two  hands,  had 
the  forward  compartments  to  themselves.  The  master 
explained  that  at  ordinary  times  his  two  men  occupied  a 
tiny  place  boarded  off  from  the  hold,  or  in  summer  slept 
on  deck ;  but  that,  as  there  were  so  few  passengers,  they 


286  NO   SURRENDER 

lived  with  the  rest  "  for,"  as  he  growled  under  his  breath  — 
"  the  present." 

The  voyage  was  slow  but  not  unpleasant.  There  was 
scarce  wind  enough  to  fill  the  two  sails  carried  by  the  boat, 
but  the  captain  and  his  two  hands  frequently  got  out 
sweeps  to  keep  the  boat  in  the  middle  of  the  current. 
They  stopped  for  a  day  at  Rouen,  while  the  cargo  destined 
for  that  town  was  landed.  Patsey  and  Leigh  were  glad  to 
spend  the  day  in  the  town  visiting  the  cathedral,  taking 
their  meals  at  a  restaurant,  for  the  cuisine  on  board  the  boat 
was  not  of  the  highest  character. 

"  We  used  to  keep  a  regular  cook,"  the  captain  lamented. 
"  In  those  days  we  often  carried  several  passengers,  but  at 
present,  when  we  seldom  have  more  than  one  or  two,  we 
cannot  afford  it.  The  Revolution  is  no  doubt  a  grand  thing, 
and  has  greatly  benefited  the  nation,  but  it  has  weighed 
hardly  on  us.  There  are  but  half  the  boats  on  the  river 
there  used  to  be,  and  they  are  hardly  paying  expenses  now 
that  no  one  travels.  Those  that  go  to  sea  are  worse  off 
still,  for  what  with  the  falling  off  in  trade,  and  with  the 
English  cruisers  all  along  the  coast,  there  is  little  employ- 
ment for  seamen  save  in  the  privateers.  However,  they  don't 
starve,  for  the  greater  portion  of  the  men  on  the  coast  have 
to  go  in  the  ships  of  the  Republic." 

On  the  sixth  day  after  leaving  Paris  they  arrived  at 
Havre.  Here  they  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  lodgings 
in  a  small  auberge  near  the  port.  Their  pass  was,  on  their 
arrival,  sent  to  the  authorities  of  the  town  and  duly 
stamped.  Leigh's  first  inquiries  were  for  the  Henriette. 
He  found  that  she  was  well  known  in  the  port,  and  had 
sailed  for  La  Rochelle  six  weeks  before. 

'*  She  does  not  very  often  come  up  here,"  one  of  the 
sailors    said.      "Sometimes    she    is    months  between    her 


A    FRIEND   AT    LAST  287 

visits.  As  likely  as  not  she  may  have  been  captured  on 
her  way  down.  Her  port  is  Bordeaux,  and  if  you  wanted 
to  find  her  you  had  much  better  have  gone  straight  there 
than  come  to  this  place." 

"  I  do  want  to  find  her,"  Leigh  said.  "  Is  there  any 
chance  of  finding  a  ship  going  down  south  ?'^ 

"  Well,  you  might  find  one,"  the  man  said ;  "  but  you 
would  have  to  take  your  chance  of  getting  there.  Many 
of  the  ships  are  laid  up,  for  the  risk  of  capture  is  great. 
It  is  small  craft  that  for  the  most  part  make  the  venture. 
They  creep  along  inshore,  and  either  run  into  a  port  or 
anchor  under  the  guns  of  a  battery,  if  they  see  a  British 
cruiser  outside.  Drawing  so  little  water,  they  can  keep  in 
nearer  than  a  cruiser  would  dare  to;  and  as  they  all  can 
take  the  mud,  they  do  not  mind  if  they  stick  on  the  sands 
for  a  tide." 

Leigh  returned  with  the  news  to  his  sister. 

"  What  do  you  think,  Patsey  ? "  he  said.  "  I  do  not 
say  that  we  cannot  cross  from  here  in  a  boat,  though  I 
have  learned  that  the  entrance  to  the  Channel  is  guarded 
by  gun-boats.  If  we  passed  safely  through  these  w*'  should 
have  serious  risk  and  many  hardships  to  undergo.  I  hear 
that  there  are  numerous  French  privateers,  and  we  might 
be  picked  up  by  one  of  them  instead  of  by  an  English 
cruiser.  I  am  afraid  that  our  passes,  in  that  case,  would  not 
avail  us  in  the  slightest.  Now,  if  we  go  down  to  Bordeaux 
we  have  only  to  wait  till  the  Henriette  comes  in ;  possibly 
she  may  be  there  when  we  arrive.  In  that  case  I  am  sure 
that  Lefaux  will  be  willing  to  take  us  out,  and  either  put  us 
on  board  a  British  cruiser  or  land  us  in  England.*^ 

"Certainly  we  will  go  to  Bordeaux,"  Patsey  said;  "we 
may  find  Jean  there.  If  he  escaped  that  night  he  would 
make  for  the  Loire,  and  as  he  is  a  good  swimmer  he  would 


288  NO    SURRENDER 

get  over  without  difficulty,  and  he  would  then  try  to  make 
his  way  towards  Bordeaux." 

"  That  may  be  so,  Patsey ;  but  I  would  not  be  too  san- 
guine about  our  finding  him  there.  It  was  so  much  nearer 
for  him  to  have  made  for  one  of  the  northern  ports  that  he 
might  very  well  have  done  so,  and  as  soon  as  he  managed  to 
obtain  a  sea  outfit  he  would  no  longer  be  suspected  of  having 
anything  to  do  with  the  Vend^ans." 

They  had  learnt  before  this  that  after  the  fight  at  Le  Mans 
the  Vend^ans  had  made  for  the  river,  had  desperately  fought 
their  way  through  the  forces  that  barred  their  march,  had 
come  down  on  the  banks,  but  had  failed  to  find  any  means 
to  cross  it.  Then  they  had  turned  into  Brittany  again  for  a 
short  distance,  had  fought  two  or  three  more  desperate  bat- 
tles, and  had  again  reached  the  Loire.  There  was  but  one 
leaky  boat  to  be  found.  In  this  la  Rochejaquelein,  with  a 
few  of  his  officers,  had  crossed  the  river  to  bring  back  some 
boats  that  were  moored  on  the  opposite  bank.  Directly  they 
got  across  they  were  attacked,  but  la  Rochejaquelein,  with 
two  or  three  others,  effected  their  escape.  After  this  the 
Vendeans  no  longer  kept  together.  The  women  and  chil- 
dren, wounded  and  invalids,  hid  themselves  in  the  woods, 
where  they  were  hunted  down  like  wild  beasts,  and  either 
slaughtered  at  once  or  sent  to  Nantes,  where  thousands  were 
either  executed  or  drowned  by  the  infamous  Carrier,  one  of 
the  most  sanguinary  villains  produced  by  the  Revolution. 
Many  of  the  men  managed  to  cross  the  river  either  by  swim- 
ming on  rough  rafts  or  in  boats.  In  La  Vendee  the  war 
was  still  going  on,  for  Charette  had  marched  up  again  from 
Lower  Poitou,  and  was  keeping  a  large  force  of  the  .Repub- 
lican troops  engaged. 

"  I  will  try  not  to  hope  too  much,"  Patsey  said.  "  But  at 
any  rate  I  am  for  going  down  to  Bordeaux ;  for,  apart  from 


A    FRIEND    AT    LAST  289 

the  chance  of  finding  Jean  there,  it  seems  much  safer  than 
putting  out  to  sea  in  a  little  boat." 

"  I  certainly  think  so,"  Leigh  replied.  "  Now  I  will  go 
out  and  make  inquiries  as  to  what  craft  there  may  be  bound 
south." 

He  returned  in  a  couple  of  hours. 

"  I  have  arranged  for  our  passage,  Patsey.  She  is  a  fast- 
looking  little  craft,  with  very  decent  accommodation.  She  is 
in  the  wine  trade,  and  brought  a  cargo  safely  up  last  week, 
and  will  start  again  the  day  after  to-morrow.  She  carries  a 
crew  of  eight  hands ;  and  I  have  made  inquiries  about  the 
captain,  and  hear  a  very  good  report  of  him,  and  he  seemed 
to  me  a  first-rate  fellow.  When  I  mentioned  the  name 
of  the  Henriette  he  said  that  he  knew  her  well,  and  was 
acquainted  both  with  the  present  captain  and  with  your 
Jean.  He  had  heard  from  Lefaux  that  her  former  owner 
had  been  denounced,  and  had  been  obliged  to  fly  from 
Nantes  to  a  chateau  that  he  had  in  La  Vendue.  The 
Henriette  has  never  been  into  Nantes  since,  but  went  down 
to  Bordeaux,  and  was  there  registered  in  another  owner's 
name  and  Lefaux  had  worked  for  him  ever  since. 

"  *  I  fancy,'  he  said,  *  she  sometimes  makes  a  run  with 
brandy  to  England.  She  was  in  that  business  before,  and 
had,  Lefaux  said,  been  chased  many  a  time  by  English 
cutters,  but  had  always  managed  to  give  them  the  slip.'  I 
was  half  inclined  to  tell  him  that  I  was  Jean's  brother-in-law, 
but  I  thought  it  better  not  to  until  we  had  been  to  sea  for  a 
day  or  two  and  had  learned  a  little  more  about  him." 

The  next  day  Leigh  went  to  the  mairie,  and  explained 
that  not  having  found  the  ship  commanded  by  citoyenne 
Martin's  husband,  and  thinking  it  likely  that  they  would  hear 
of  him  at  Bordeaux,  they  had  taken  passage  by  the  Trois 
Freres,  which  sailed  the  next  day.     The  addition  was  made 

19 


290  NO   SURRENDER 

to  his  papers  without  a  question,  and  the  next  morning 
they  went  on  board.  They  were  heartily  received  by  the 
captain. 

"  You  ought  to  bring  us  luck,  madame,"  he  said  —  "I 
mean  citoyenne,  but  the  old  word  slips  out  of  one's  mouth 
sometimes.  It  is  not  often  that  I  have  a  lady  passenger. 
There  are  few  who  travel  now,  and  before  the  war  broke 
out  people  preferred  taking  passage  in  larger  ships  than 
mine.  Still,  I  will  do  my  best  to  make  you  comfortable, 
and  I  can  assure  you  that  L^on,  my  cook,  is  by  no  means  a 
bad  hand  at  turning  out  dainty  dishes.  He  was  cook  in  an 
hotel  at  one  time,  but  he  let  his  tongue  wag  too  freely,  and 
having  to  leave  suddenly,  was  glad  enough  to  ship  with 
me.  Fortunately  he  likes  the  life,  and  I  do  not  think 
anything  would  tempt  him  to  go  back  to  an  hotel  kitchen 
again." 

"  I  am  not  particular,  I  can  assure  you,"  Patsey  said.  "  In 
these  times  we  all  have  to  rough  it.  Still,  I  own  that  I  like  a 
good  dinner  better  than  a  bad  one." 

"  We  shall  put  in  to  a  good  many  little  ports,"  the  skipper 
said.  "  Sailing  as  close  as  we  do  inshore,  I  always  make  a 
port  if  I  can  as  evening  comes  on,  and  we  are  therefore  never 
without  fresh  meat,  fish,  and  vegetables." 

"  How  long  shall  we  be  going  down?  " 

"  That  I  cannot  tell  you.  It  all  depends  upon  the  wind. 
We  may,  too,  be  kept  in  port  for  two  or  three  days  if  there 
is  an  enemy's  cruiser  anywhere  about.  We  may  get  there  in 
ten  days,  we  may  take  three  weeks." 

Before  the  boat  set  sail,  a  commissary  with  two  men  came 
on  board  and  examined  the  passes  of  the  passengers,  and 
searched  below  the  hatches  to  make  sure  that  no  one  was 
hidden  there.  As  soon  as  they  had  completed  their 
inspection  the   sails   were   hoisted,  and   the    Trois  Frlres 


A   FRIEND   AT   LAST  291 

Started  on  her  way  down  the  Channel.  The  wind  was 
light,  and  blowing  from  the  south-west,  and  they  were  just 
able  to  lay  their  course,  and  anchored  for  the  night  off  the 
mouth  of  the  Vire  river. 

"  I  suppose  to-morrow  you  will  get  round  the  Cape  de  la 
Hague,  captain  ?  "  Leigh  said. 

"  No,  we  shall  not  attempt  that.  The  coast  is  a  very 
difficult  one,  with  furious  currents.  We  shall  bring  up  off 
Cherbourg  and  start  at  daylight,  and  shall,  I  hope,  be  well 
down  towards  the  bay  of  Avranches  by  nightfall.  There 
is  no  fear  of  a  British  cruiser  till  we  get  out  towards 
Ushant.  They  do  not  care  about  coming  inside  the  islands ; 
what  with  the  fogs,  the  rocks,  and  the  currents,  it  is  safer 
outside  than  in.  Besides,  there  is  little  to  be  picked  up 
except  coasters  like  ourselves  and  fishing-boats.  There  is 
hardly  any  foreign  trade  between  Havre  and  Brest;  it  is 
from  there  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Gironde  that  their 
cruisers  are  so  thick.  From  Ushant  to  Boulogne  there  are 
plenty  of  them,  but  these  are  chiefly  occupied  in  guarding 
their  ships  going  up  and  down  the  Channel  from  our  priva- 
teers, which  run  out  from  every  port,  Dieppe  and  Havre, 
Granville,  Avranches,  and  St.  Malo." 

The  skipper  had  by  no  means  overpraised  his  cook,  who 
turned  them  out  a  better  dinner  than  any  that  they  had 
eaten  since  the  troubles  began,  with  the  exception  only  of 
those  they  had  had  at  Arthenay. 

"  He  takes  a  pride  in  it,"  the  captain  said,  "  and  you  will 
never  get  good  work  done  in  any  line  unless  by  a  man  who 
does  so.  A  sailor  who  is  careless  about  the  appearance  of 
his  ship  is  sure  to  be  careless  about  the  keeping  of  the 
watch,  and  is  not  to  be  trusted  in  matters  of  navigation. 
When  you  see  a  craft  with  every  rope  in  its  place,  every- 
thing spotlessly  clean,  the  brasswork  polished  up,  and  the 


292  NO   SURRENDER 

paint  carefully  attended  to,  you  may  be  sure  that  the 
skipper  is  as  particular  in  more  important  matters.  It  is 
just  so  with  our  man.  It  is  a  little  bit  of  a  galley,  but  his 
sauce-pans  shine  hke  gold,  everything  is  clean  and  in  its 
place.  He  grumbles  if  we  run  short  of  anything,  and  is 
a  good  deal  more  particular  about  my  dinner  being  just 
what  it  should  be  than  I  am  myself 

"  Sometimes  when  we  have  rough  weather  I  say  to  him, 
*  Make  me  a  soup  to-day,  Leon ;  I  shall  be  well  content 
with  that,  and  it  is  not  weather  for  turning  out  a  regular 
dinner."  He  always  replies  gravely,  "  Monsieur,  anyone  can 
cook  when  the  sea  is  calm ;  it  is  on  an  occasion  like  this  that 
one  who  knows  his  business  is  required.  Monsieur  will  dine 
as  usual.'  And  up  comes  dinner,  with  three  or  four  courses, 
cooked  to  perfection.  For  myself,  I  would  rather  snatch  a 
few  mouthfuls  and  go  up  on  deck  again ;  but  this  would 
hurt  Leon's  feelings  if  he  saw  it,  and  he  might  even 
consider  that  he  must  seek  another  employer,  for  that  his 
talents  were  wasted  upon  me,  so  I  go  through  it  all  with 
exemplary  patience.  I  would  not  lose  him  for  anything, 
not  only  because  I  own  I  like  good  food,  but  the  Trois 
Freres  has  such  a  reputation  for  good  living,  that  if  I  am  in 
port  passengers  will  wait  for  days  to  sail  with  me,  instead 
of  going  by  other  craft. 

"  And  then,  too,  I  have  no  trouble  with  my  crew,  and  it 
is  rarely  indeed  that  I  change  one  of  my  hands;  for 
although  their  meals  are  of  course  much  simpler  than  mine, 
they  are  all  perfect  in  their  way.  It  takes  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  off  my  hands,  too.  Instead  of  my  having  a  dozen 
little  accounts  to  go  into  at  every  port  we  enter,  I  allow 
him  a  certain  sum  and  he  manages  on  that  —  so  much  a  day 
for  my  own  table,  so  much  for  each  passenger,  and  so 
much  for  the  crew.     How  he  does  it  I  don't  know.     I  find 


A    FRIEND   AT   LAST  293 

that  it  is  cheaper  than  it  used  to  be  before  his  time,  and 
yet  I  have  all  sorts  of  dainties  I  never  dreamt  of  then.  I 
say  to  him  sometimes,  ^  Leon,  you  must  be  ruining  your- 
self; '  but  he  smiles  and'  says,  *  I  am  well  content,  captain; 
if  you  are  satisfied,  I  am  so.' 

"  He  buys  the  fish  off  the  boats  as  they  come  in,  and  I 
can  understand  that  he  gets  them  far  more  cheaply  than  if 
he   waited   till   they  were  hawked   in   the   streets.     He   is 
great  at  omelets,  and  when  he  has  a  chance  he  is  ashore 
before  the  countrywomen  come  into  the  market,   and  will 
buy  the  whole  stock  of  eggs,  a  pound  or  two  of  butter,  and 
three  or  four  couples  of  fowls  from  one  woman,  who  is  glad 
to  sell  cheaply  and  so  be  free  to  return  home  at  once.     At 
Bordeaux  he  lays  in  a  stock  of  snipe  and  other  birds  from 
the  sand-hills  and  marshes,  oysters,  and  other  such  matters. 
He  is  a  great  favourite  with  the  crew,  and  in  cold  weather 
or  stormy  nights  there   is  always  hot  soup  ready  for  them. 
He  has  only  one  fault.     As  a  rule  the  cooks  are  expected 
to   help  get  up  the  anchor  and  sails,  but  he  will  not  put 
a  hand  to   sailors'  work.     He   says  that  a  cook  must  not 
have   a  rough   hand,  but   that   it  should   be   as   soft  as  a 
woman's.     Personally,  I  believe  that  is  all  nonsense.     How- 
ever, as  we  have  a  fairly  strong  crew,  I  do  not  press  him 
on   the   subject;   though  sometimes,   when  T  tail  on  to  a 
rope  myself  and  see  him  leaning  quietly  against  his  galley 
smoking  his  pipe,  I  am  inclined  to  use  strong  language." 
"I  don't  think  that  is  much    to  put  up  with,  captain," 
Patsey   said   with   a   smile,   "  if  he   always    cooks  for  you 
such  breakfasts  and  dinners  as  we  have  had  to-day ;  and  I 
do  think  that  there  is  perhaps  something  in  what  he  says 
about  rough  hands." 

''  Well,  I  feel  that  myself,"  he  said.     "  Still,  it  is  a  little 
aggravating,   when  everyone    else  is  working   hard,  to  see 


294  NO   SURRENDER 

a  man  calmly  smoking  and  never  raising  a  finger  to 
help." 

The  next  day  they  kept  very  close  inshore.  More  than 
once  a  white  sail  was  seen  in  the  distance,  which  the 
captain  pronounced  from  its  cut  to  belong  to  a  British 
cruiser. 

*'  The  weather  is  fine,  you  see,  and  the  wind  is  steady,  so 
they  are  coming  rather  farther  into  the  bay  than  usual.  We 
shall  see  more  of  them  as  soon  as  we  are  round  that  cape 
ahead,  for  they  keep  a  very  sharp  look-out  off  Cherbourg." 

It  was  not,  however,  until  they  had  rounded  Ushant 
that  any  British  vessel  came  near  enough  to  cause  them 
uneasiness.  There  were  two  large  frigates  cruising  back- 
wards and  forwards  off  Brest,  and  a  brig-of-war  came  within 
shot  as  they  were  doubling  Penmarch  Point. 

"  There  is  plenty  of  water  for  her  here,"  the  skipper  said. 
'^  However,  she  will  hardly  catch  us  before  we  are  under 
shelter  of  the  batteries  of  Quimper." 

"  I  should  have  thought  that  she  would  hardly  think  you 
worth  the  trouble  of  chasing." 

*'  It  may  be  that  they  think  we  are  carrying  fresh  meat 
from  St.  Malo  to  Nantes.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  trade 
that  way  this  time  of  year,  when  meat  will  keep  good  for  a 
week.  Or  it  may  be  that  they  want  to  get  news  of  what 
ships  there  are  in  Brest.  However,  it  is  certain  that  he  is 
in  earnest ;  he  is  politely  requesting  us  to  lower  our  sails." 

He  laughed  as  a  puff  of  white  smoke  broke  out  from  the 
brig,  and  a  second  or  two  later  a  ball  dashed  up  the  water 
fifty  yards  ahead  of  them.  The  emotions  with  which 
Patsey  and  Leigh  watched  the  brig  differed  much  from 
those  of  the  captain.  They  would  gladly  have  seen  the 
lugger  overhauled  and  captured,  but  they  soon  saw  that 
there  was  little  chance  of  this.     The  lugger  was  a  fast  boat, 


A   FRIEND   AT   LAST  295 

the  wind  just  suited  her,  and  the  brig  fell  farther  and 
farther  astern,  until,  as  the  former  entered  the  bay  of 
Quimper  and  laid  her  course  north,  the  brig  hauled  her 
wind  and  turned  to  rejoin  the  vessels  off  Brest.  Keeping 
close  to  the  land,  they  passed  L'Orient  and  Quiberon  and 
Vannes  without  stopping,  and  did  not  drop  anchor  again 
until  they  entered  the  bay  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  island 
of  Noirmoutier.  The  next  day  they  passed  out  through 
the  narrow  channel  of  Froment,  and  had  gone  between  the 
island  and  the  mainland  for  a  distance  of  two  miles,  when 
tliey  saw  a  large  brig  making  in  towards  the  shore. 

"  Another  of  those  cruisers,"  the  captain  exclaimed.  "  This 
is  more  serious,  for  there  is  no  bay  we  can  run  into,  and  the 
fellow  is  bringing  the  wind  down  with  him.  Our  only  chance 
is  to  anchor  under  the  guns  of  St.  Jean  des  Montes  j  we  shall 
be  lucky  if  we  get  there  in  time." 

The  brig  came  up  fast,  and  was  within  a  mile  when 
the  lugger  caught  the  wind ;  then  running  along  rapidly  she 
held  her  own  until  off  St.  Jean,  when  she  ran  in  as  close  as 
her  draught  would  permit  and  anchored.  Two  French 
privateers  were  already  lying  in  there,  one  having  dropped 
anchor  only  a  few  minutes  before  the  Trots  Freres  arrived. 

"  I  expect  it  was  that  fellow  that  the  brig  was  in  chase 
of,  and  I  am  not  by  any  means  sure  that  we  have  done 
with  her  yet.  They  are  as  likely  as  not  to  try  to  cut  out 
one,  if  not  both,  of  these  privateers.  Of  course  it  would 
look  like  madness  with  the  guns  of  that  battery  on  the 
height  protecting  them,  but  they  have  done  such  things 
so  often,  that  one  can  never  say  that  one  is  altogether  safe 
from  them." 

The  brig  stood  in  until  two  or  three  guns  in  the  bat- 
tery opened  fire,  when  she  turned  and  made  out  to  sea 
again. 


296  NO   SURRENDER 

"  That  means  nothing,"  the  captain  said.  '*  Of  course 
she  would  not  attack  in  daylight.  I  dare  say  she  will  sail 
pretty  nearly  out  of  sight,  so  as  to  make  the  privateers 
believe  that  she  had  no  intention  of  meddling  with  them. 
If  I  was  sure  that  was  her  game,  I  would  get  up  sail  again 
as  soon  as  it  is  dark,  and  make  for  Oleron ;  but  it  is 
likely  enough  that  she  may  think  that  that  is  just  what  the 
privateers  will  do,  and  will  sail  in  that  direction  herself, 
so  as  to  cut  them  off  before  they  get  there,  and  force  them 
to  fight  without  the  protection  of  a  shore  battery.  There 
is  the  bell  for  breakfast !  Leon  would  not  be  two  minutes 
late  if  there  was  an  action  going  on  close  to  us." 

Half  an  hour  later  they  went  on  deck  again. 

"  At  any  rate,  the  sea  has  saved  us  the  trouble  of  dis- 
cussing the  matter,"  the  captain  said;  "we  are  aground. 
The  tide  turned  just  before  we  got  here.  It  is  now  half- 
past  twelve,  and  we  shall  not  be  afloat  again  for  nearly 
twelve  hours.  Well,  there  is  one  thing,  if  they  are  thinking 
of  trying  to  cut  out  the  privateers  they  are  not  likely  to  do 
it  before  two  or  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  As  soon  as 
we  float  I  shall  haul  out  a  cable's  length  or  two,  so  as  to 
ensure  our  being  able  to  get  off,  and  if  they  do  attack,  I 
shall  get  up  my  sails  at  once  and  run  south ;  they  will  be 
too  much  occupied  to  give  us  a  thought.  Whereas,  if  I 
stay  here,  and  they  capture  the  privateers,  they  might  take 
it  into  their  heads  to  come  on  board  and  set  fire  to  the 
lugger,  which,  as  I  am  part  owner,  would  be  a  very  serious 
matter  to  me." 

It  was  apparent  that  the  privateers  had  no  thought  of 
the  brig  returning,  at  any  rate  at  present,  as  boats  went 
backwards  and  forwards  between  them  and  the  shore- 

"What  do  you  think,  Leigh?"  his  sister  asked  quietly  as 
they  were  sitting  alone  together. 


A    FRIEND    AT   LAST  297 

"  I  do  not  know  in  the  least,"  he  said.  "  Our  best  chance 
is  that  the  two  Frenchmen  seem  to  be  so  confident  that  they 
are  safe  under  the  guns  of  the  fort,  that  they  will  take  no 
very  great  precautions.  One  of  them  mounts  eight  guns, 
the  other  ten,  and  they  ought  to  be  a  match  for  the  brig, 
even  without  the  forts,  for  we  could  see  by  her  ports  that 
she  only  carries  sixteen  guns.  However,  I  think  myself 
that  she  will  very  likely  have  a  try  at  them.  It  will  be  a 
very  dark  night,  for  the  sky  is  overcast  and  there  is  no 
moon." 

It  was  between  ten  and  eleven  when,  just  as  they  were 
about  to  turn  in,  the  captain  ran  in. 

**  Quick,  madame,  you  must  hurry  on  your  clothes !  I 
heard  a  sound  just  now  that  could  only  be  made  by  a  boat. 
As  we  are  still  aground,  I  shall  bring  a  boat  alongside  and 
land.     There  is  nothing  like  being  on  the  safe  side  ! " 

The  two  privateers  were  lying  a  quarter  of  a  mile  farther 
out,  and  there  were  still  lights  burning  on  board  them. 

"  The  fools  !  "  the  captain  growled  as  Leigh  and  his  sister 
came  on  deck,  Leigh  carrying  little  Louis,  who  had  been 
put  to  bed  fully  dressed.  Indeed,  no  time  had  been  lost, 
for  his  mother  and  Leigh  had  agreed  that  it  would  be  better 
to  lie  down  in  their  clothes  in  case  of  an  alarm  being  given. 
"  The  fools  !  "  the  captain  repeated.  "  If  they  had  extin- 
guished every  light,  as  they  ought  to  have  done,  the  boats 
would  have  had  difficulty  in  finding  them;  now,  they 
could  not  miss  them  if  they  tried.  Now,  madame,  will  you 
please  take  your  place  in  the  boat  with  me?  I  am  sure 
that  there  are  boats  coming  along.  Of  course  the  oars  are 
muffled,  and  there  is  enough  sea  on  to  prevent  us  hearing 
the  splash.  I  think  the  noise  I  heard  was  caused  by  one  of 
the  stretchers  giving  way." 

Reluctantly  Patsey  and   Leigh  took  their  places  in  the 


298  NO   SURRENDER 

boat.  Just  as  they  reached  the  shore  a  shout  was  heard  on 
board  one  of  the  privateers,  and  a  moment  later  came  the 
sound  of  a  British  cheer.  It  was  followed  by  a  hubbub  of 
shouts,  then  muskets  flashed  out  from  the  decks,  and  almost 
immediately  came  the  sounds  of  conflict.  A  blue  light  was 
struck  on  the  deck  of  one  of  the  privateers,  and  by  its  light 
those  on  shore  could  obtain  a  view  of  the  conflict.  The  boats 
had  boarded  from  the  shore  side ;  two  of  them  lay  alongside 
each  of  the  privateers,  and  the  crews  could  be  seen  climbing 
up  by  the  chains  and  leaping  down  upon  the  decks. 

"They  deserve  to  be  taken,"  the  captain  said;  "they 
have  not  even  triced  up  their  boarding  nets." 

A  confused  medley  of  sounds  came  to  the  shore  ;  with  the 
shouts  of  the  French  sailors  were  mingled  the  clash  of  cut- 
lasses and  the  crack  of  pistols.  The  British  sailors  fought 
for  the  most  part  silently.  On  the  heights  above,  blue 
lights  were  burning  in  the  battery,  and  men  could  be  seen 
standing  on  its  crest  watching  the  combat  below,  but  power- 
less to  assist  their  friends.  It  was  but  five  minutes  after 
the  outbreak  of  the  combat  when  a  loud  British  cheer,  fol- 
lowed by  a  dead  silence,  showed  that  one,  at  least,  of  the 
privateers  had  been  captured.  The  fighting  still  continued 
on  the  deck  of  the  other  craft,  but  from  the  vessel  that  had 
been  captured  a  number  of  sailors  leapt  down  into  one  of 
their  boats,  and  rowed  to  the  assistance  of  their  comrades. 
The  reinforcements  apparently  decided  the  issue  of  the 
fight,  for  in  a  couple  of  minutes  the  British  cheer  was 
again  heard,  and  the  blue  light  was  promptly  extinguished, 
as  were  all  the  other  lights  on  both  vessels.  Scarcely  was 
this  done  when  the  guns  from  the  battery  boomed  out. 

"  It  is  of  no  use  their  firing,"  the  captain  said ;  "  I  don't 
think  they  can  depress  the  guns  enough  to  bear  upon  them. 
There,  they  are  making  sail ! "  he  went  on  as  the  creaking  of 


A    FRIEND   AT   LAST  299 

blocks  was  heard.  "  Of  course  they  have  cut  the  cables  j 
they  would  not  waste  time  in  getting  up  anchors  with  the 
forts  playing  upon  them.  However,  it  is  mere  waste  of 
powder  and  shot  on  such  a  night  as  this.  I  don't  suppose 
the  gunners  can  make  them  out  now ;  for  a  certainty  they 
won't  be  able  to  do  so  as  soon  as  they  have  moved  off 
another  quarter  of  a  mile.  Of  course  a  stray  shot  may  hit 
them,  but  practically  it  is  all  over.  I  think  that  we  can 
go  on  board  again.  I  did  not  think  of  it  before,  but  they 
would  hardly  set  fire  to  us,  for  the  light  would  enable  the 
gunners  to  see  them  till  they  were  a  long  way  out.  There 
is  no  doubt  those  Englishmen  can  fight.  Our  men  are  all 
right  when  they  are  under  sail  and  it  is  a  question  of  ex- 
changing broadsides,  but  the  success  of  so  many  of  their 
cutting-out  expeditions  shows  that,  somehow  or  other,  we 
lose  heart  when  we  are  boarded.  We  must  have  had 
nearly  twice  as  many  men  as  there  were  in  those  four 
boats,  and  yet  it  seemed  to  be  a  certainty  as  soon  as  the 
English  got  among  them.  Our  craft  had  much  better  have 
sailed  out  together  when  the  brig  came  in  this  morning, 
and  fought  her  fairly.  They  ought  to  have  been  more  than 
a  match  for  her. 

"  No  doubt  they  would  have  done  so  if  they  had  thought 
that  they  would  be  attacked  to-night ;  but  they  relied  upon 
the  battery,  and  allowed  themselves  to  be  taken  completely 
by  surprise.  I  could  see,  even  from  this  distance,  that 
most  of  them  were  fighting  in  their  shirts,  and  I  expect 
that  they  were  sound  asleep  when  the  attack  began;  and 
men  roused  in  that  sudden  way  can  never  be  relied  upon  to 
do  their  duty  as  they  would  do  if  prepared  to  meet  it." 

The  party  were  soon  on  board  the  lugger  again.  Just  as 
daylight  was  breaking  there  was  a  trampling  of  feet  on  the 
deck,  and  Leigh,  going  up,  found  that  sail  was  being  hoisted. 


300  NO   SURRENDER 

Keeping  close  to  the  shore,  they  ran  down,  without  put- 
ting in  anywhere,  to  La  Rochelle.  Here  they  waited  for 
a  day,  and  then  keeping  inside  the  Isle  of  Oleron  entered 
the  Gironde,  and  the  next  day  anchored  in  the  Garonne, 
off  the  quays  of  Bordeaux.  After  thanking  the  captain 
very  heartily  for  his  kindness  during  the  passage,  they 
landed,  showed  their  papers  to  an  official  on  the  quay, 
and  then,  being  unhampered  by  luggage,  walked  quietly 
away.  As  there  was  nothing  particularly  noticeable  in  their 
appearance  they  attracted  no  attention  whatever.  It  was 
five  o'clock  when  they  landed,  and  already  becoming  dusk. 
They  waited  until  it  was  quite  dark,  and  then,  having  in- 
quired for  the  house  of  Monsieur  Flambard,  the  merchant 
to  whom  Jean  had  assigned  the  Henriette^  they  knocked  at 
his  door.  It  was  a  handsome  house  not  far  from  the  quays. 
The  lower  portion  was  evidently  occupied  by  the  offices. 
As  a  servant  opened  the  door,  Leigh,  seeing  that  his  sister 
hesitated  to  speak,  inquired  if  Monsieur  Flambard  was  at 
home. 

"  He  is,"  the  man  said  shortly ;  "  but  he  does  not  see 
people  on  business  after  the  office  is  closed."  Leigh  saw 
that  his  dress  as  a  sailor  did  not  impress  the  man. 

"  I  think  he  will  see  us,"  he  said,  **  if  you  take  the  name 
up  to  him.  Will  you  tell  him  that  Citoyenne  Martin  wishes 
to  speak  to  him." 

A  minute  later  the  merchant  himself,  a  handsome  man  of 
about  the  same  age  as  Jean  Martin,  came  down.  "  Ah ! 
nmdame,  I  am  glad  indeed  to  see  you,"  he  said  ;  for  he  had 
more  than  once  been  up  to  Nantes  during  the  time  she  was 
living  there,  and  had  been  frequently  at  the  house.  "  I 
have  been  in  great  anxiety  about  you." 

"  Has  Jean  been  here  ?  "  she  asked  in  a  tone  of  intense 
anxiety. 


A   GRAVE   RISK  801 

"No,  madame,  I  have  heard  nothing  of  him  for  many 
months ;  not,  indeed,  since  his  lugger  first  came  down  here 
with  his  letter  and  the  deed  of  her  sale  to  myself.  Did  you 
expect  to  find  him  here?" 

"  I  hoped  so,  although  there  was  no  arrangement  between 
us  to  meet  here.  Still,  I  thought  that  he  would  have  made 
his  way  down  here,  if  possible,  as  he  would  then  be  able  to 
escape  in  the  lugger." 

"  He  may  have  found  it  more  difficult  than  he  thought," 
Monsieur  Flambard  said  soothingly.  "  But  do  not  let  us  be 
standing  here.  Pray,  come  up.  My  wife  will  be  glad  to 
welcome  you,  for  she  has  often  heard  me  speak  of  Martin's 
English  wife." 

Leigh  had  been  standing  behind  Patsey  while  they  spoke, 
but  as  the  merchant  closed  the  door  his  eye  fell  upon  him. 

"  Ah,  monsieur,  now  I  recognize  you.  You  are  Monsieur 
Leigh  Stansfield,  the  brother  of  madame.  I  welcome  you 
also  cordially."     So  saying  he  led  the  way  upstairs. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

A   GRAVE   RISK 

NOTHING  could  be  kinder  than  the  reception  of  the 
fugitives  by  Madame  Flambard.  She  had  heard  so 
much  of  Patsey,  she  said,  from  her  husband,  to  whom  she 
had  been  married  six  months  before,  that  she  had  quite 
shared  his  anxiety  about  the  fate  of  Jean  Martin,  who  had 
more  than  once  been  mentioned  as  being  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  Vendeans.  She  soon  went  off  with  Patsey  to  put 
the  child  to  bed,  and  while  they  were  away  Monsieur  Flam- 
bard took  Leigh  into  his  smoking-room. 


302  NO  SURRENDER 

"  Before,"  he  said,  *'  I  ask  you  anything  about  your  adven- 
tures, I  must  explain  to  you  the  state  of  things  here.  Until 
November  last  Bordeaux,  and  indeed  the  whole  of  the 
Gironde,  was  moderate.  All  our  deputies  —  who  have  now, 
as  perhaps  you  know,  either  fallen  on  the  scaffold  or  been 
hunted  down  hke  wild  beasts  —  belonged  to  that  party.  They 
were  earnest  reformers,  and  were  prominent  among  the 
leaders  of  the  Revolution.  They  went  with  the  stream  up 
to  a  certain  point.  They  voted  for  most  of  the  sanguinary 
decrees,  although  in  time  they  strove  to  mitigate  the  horrors 
inflicted  by  the  extreme  party,  but  after  a  long  conflict  the 
latter,  supported  by  the  mob  of  Paris,  obtained  the  ascend- 
ency, and  the  Girondists  underwent  the  same  fate  that  had 
befallen  so  many  others.  For  myself  I  cannot  pity  them. 
They  were  all  men  of  standing  and  of  intelligence,  but 
without  perceiving  the  terrible  results  that  must  follow, 
they  unchained  the  mob  and  became  its  victims. 

"  Up  to  that  time  there  had  been  but  few  executions  here, 
and  the  power  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  moderate  party. 
Two  months  since,  however,  there  was  a  local  insurrection. 
The  party  of  the  terror  suddenly  rose,  seized  the  members 
of  the  council,  and  threw  them  into  prison.  Other  prominent 
citizens  were  seized,  and  the  guillotine  began  its  bloody 
work  in  earnest.  Since  that  time  every  citizen  of  position 
or  standing  lives  in  momentary  danger  of  arrest.  Not  a 
day  passes  but  a  dozen  or  so  are  seized  and  dragged  off.  I 
grant  that  at  present  there  is  nothing  like  the  wholesale 
butchery  that  goes  on  at  Nantes  under  that  fiend  Carrier ; 
it  is  only  those  who  have  wealth  and  property  that  are 
seized.  Not  only  in  this  town,  but  in  the  whole  department, 
the  agents  of  those  who  assumed  power  are  busy.  It  is 
the  Gironde,  and  therefore  hateful  to  the  party  of  Robes- 
pierre ;  and  the  proprietors  of  the  land,  who  have  hitherto 
been  left  unmolested,  are  being  brought  in  daily. 


A   GRAVE   RISK  303 

"The  trial  is  of  course  a  mere  farce,  the  prisoners  are 
murdered,  not  because  they  are  moderates,  but  because 
they  are  rich,  and  their  wealth  is  divided  among  the 
members  of  the  council  and  the  mob  who  support  them. 
So  far  I  have  been  unmolested.  I  have  never  taken  any 
part  in  politics,  business  being  sufficient  to  occupy  all  my 
time.  Another  thing  is,  that  I  employ  a  considerable 
number  of  men,  in  addition  to  the  crews  of  some  ten 
vessels  which  belong  to  me.  I  believe  that  I  am  popular 
generally  on  the  wharves,  and  it  is  the  knowledge  that 
my  arrest  might  promote  a  tumult  and  might  reverse 
the  present  order  of  things  that  has  led  to  my  being  left 
alone  so  far.  Fortunately  my  servant,  who  let  you  in,  has 
been  in  the  family  for  the  past  five-and-thirty  years,  and 
is  devoted  to  me.  Had  it  been  otherwise  the  position 
would  have  been  a  dangerous  one.  A  report  to  the  council 
that  a  young  man  in  the  attire  of  a  sailor,  accompanied  by 
a  lady  and  child,  had  arrived,  and  been  at  once  received, 
would  suffice  to  set  them  in  motion.  I  should  be  accused 
of  having  a  suspect,  probably  one  of  the  emigres  hidden 
here,  and  it  would  be  difficult  for  me  to  explain  your  recep- 
tion. You  must,  in  the  first  place,  attire  yourself  in  clothes 
such  as  are  worn  by  the  mate  of  a  privateer.  I  suppose 
you  have  papers,  or  you  would  not  have  been  permitted  to 
land." 

Leigh  took  out  the  passes  and  handed  them  to  him.  M. 
Flambard  glanced  through  them.  "  You  must  have  managed 
well  to  have  got  hold  of  these  passes,  and  they  certainly  put 
the  matter  on  safer  ground.  However,  I  should  find  some 
difficulty  in  explaining  how  I  came  to  show  hospitality  to 
two  persons  who,  by  a  strangely  roundabout  course,  had 
made  their  way  from  Arthenay.  It  is  a  little  unfortunate 
that  your  sister  kept  her  own  name.     Had  it  been  other- 


304  NO   SURRENDER 

wise,  I  might  have  said  that  her  husband  was  captain  of  one 
of  my  ships.  But  he  is  unfortunately  not  unknown  here. 
After  Martin's  flight  from  Nantes  a  claim  was  made  by  the 
committee  of  public  safety  at  Nantes  for  the  Henriette.  For- 
tunately your  brother-in-law  had  dated  his  bill  of  sale  to  me 
a  fortnight  before  he  left.  The  trial  took  place  here,  and 
as  in  those  days  law  and  justice  still  prevailed  in  the  civic 
courts,  the  decision  was  given  in  my  favour. 

"  It  was  urged  on  the  other  side  that  the  transaction  was 
invalid,  as  Martin  must  have  parted  with  his  vessel  know- 
ing well  that  he  was  a  traitor  to  the  Republic,  and  that  his 
property  would  be  confiscated.  However,  we  got  the  best 
of  them.  There  was  no  proof  whatever  that  Martin  was 
conscious  that  he  was  suspected  of  being  disaffected,  and  we 
claimed  that  he  had  only  sold  it  as,  having  married,  he  had 
decided  to  give  up  the  sea  and  to  settle  upon  his  estates  in 
La  Vendee.  Of  course  at  that  time  La  Vendee  had  not 
risen,  and  it  was  not  a  crime  worthy  of  death  to  own  an 
estate  there.  Still,  the  case  attracted  attention,  and  the 
fact  that  my  guest  was  a  Madame  Martin  might  recall  the 
circumstances  and  at  once  awake  a  suspicion  that  she  was 
the  wife  of  one  of  those  who  had  led  the  insurgents  of  La 
Vendue,  in  which  case  her  life  and  yours  would  be  certainly 
forfeited,  and  my  receiving  you  would  be  regarded  as  amply 
sufficient  evidence  of  my  connection  with  the  insurgents. 

"Now,  for  our  sakes,  as  well  as  yours,  I  think  that  it 
would  be  strongly  advisable  that  you  should  take  up  your 
abode  elsewhere.  Believe  me  that  it  is  no  want  of  hospi- 
tality, but  a  measure  of  precaution,  both  for  your  sake  and 
ours.  To-morrow  morning  I  should  have  to  send  in  a  state- 
ment that  two  guests  have  arrived  here,  and  it  is  therefore 
most  desirable  that  you  should  move  without  delay.  For- 
tunately the  wives  of  two  or  three  of  my  captains  live  here ; 


A   GRAVE   RISK  805 

one  of  these  especially,  an  excellent  woman,  has  a  house 
much  larger  than  she  needs,  and  takes  in  lodgers,  generally 
captains  whose  families  do  not  reside  here,  when  their  ships 
are  in  port.  Therefore  the  fact  that  a  sailor  with  a  sister  and 
her  child  have  taken  rooms  there  will  excite  no  suspicion 
whatever.  She  will  as  a  matter  of  course  send  in  your  name 
to  the  police  of  the  town,  together  with  your  passes.  They 
will  be  marked  and  returned  without,  probably,  being 
glanced  at." 

"  I  think  that  that  will  be  an  excellent  arrangement,  sir," 
Leigh  said,  "and  I  quite  see  that  our  stay  here  might  be 
awkward  for  you  as  well  as  us." 

"  I  will  at  once  go  with  you,  that  is  as  soon  as  you  have 
told  your  sister  the  reason  why  it  will  be  better  for  you  to 
establish  yourselves  elsewhere  than  here.  I  may  tell  you 
that  I  myself  have  been  quietly  making  preparations  for 
flight,  but  it  is  not  all  my  captains  whom  I  can  trust.  The 
Henriette^  which  I  expect  here  shortly,  has  been  delayed,  but 
on  her  arrival  I  propose  that  we  shall  all  cross  the  Channel 
together.  I  hear  the  ladies'  voices  in  the  next  room.  It  were 
best  that  we  got  this  painful  business  over  at  once." 

Madame  Flambard  was  greatly  distressed  when  Leigh 
gave  his  sister  an  account  of  the  conversation  they  had 
had,  and  the  resolution  at  which  they  had  arrived;  but 
Patsey  at  once  saw  that  it  was  most  desirable  that  the 
change  should  be  made,  and  assured  her  hostess  that  she 
fully  recognized  that  their  safety  would  be  imperilled  by 
staying  at  their  house. 

**It  would  be  a  cruel  kindness  on  your  part  to  insist 
upon  our  stopping  here,  Madame  Flambard.  We  know 
that  it  is  from  no  lack  of  hospitality  that  we  are  leaving, 
but  that  you  are  making  a  real  sacrifice  in  order  to  procure 
our  safety." 


304  NO   SURRENDER 

wise,  I  might  have  said  that  her  husband  was  captain  of  one 
of  my  ships.  But  he  is  unfortunately  not  unknown  here. 
After  Martin's  flight  from  Nantes  a  claim  was  made  by  the 
committee  of  public  safety  at  Nantes  for  the  Jlenriette.  For- 
tunately your  brother-in-law  had  dated  his  bill  of  sale  to  me 
a  fortnight  before  he  left.  The  trial  took  place  here,  and 
as  in  those  days  law  and  justice  still  prevailed  in  the  civic 
courts,  the  decision  was  given  in  my  favour. 

"  It  was  urged  on  the  other  side  that  the  transaction  was 
invalid,  as  Martin  must  have  parted  with  his  vessel  know- 
ing well  that  he  was  a  traitor  to  the  Republic,  and  that  his 
property  would  be  confiscated.  However,  we  got  the  best 
of  them.  There  was  no  proof  whatever  that  Martin  was 
conscious  that  he  was  suspected  of  being  disaffected,  and  we 
claimed  that  he  had  only  sold  it  as,  having  married,  he  had 
decided  to  give  up  the  sea  and  to  settle  upon  his  estates  in 
La  Vendue.  Of  course  at  that  time  La  Vendee  had  not 
risen,  and  it  was  not  a  crime  worthy  of  death  to  own  an 
estate  there.  Still,  the  case  attracted  attention,  and  the 
fact  that  my  guest  was  a  Madame  Martin  might  recall  the 
circumstances  and  at  once  awake  a  suspicion  that  she  was 
the  wife  of  one  of  those  who  had  led  the  insurgents  of  La 
Vendue,  in  which  case  her  life  and  yours  would  be  certainly 
forfeited,  and  my  receiving  you  would  be  regarded  as  amply 
sufficient  evidence  of  my  connection  with  the  insurgents. 

"Now,  for  our  sakes,  as  well  as  yours,  I  think  that  it 
would  be  strongly  advisable  that  you  should  take  up  your 
abode  elsewhere.  Believe  me  that  it  is  no  want  of  hospi- 
tality, but  a  measure  of  precaution,  both  for  your  sake  and 
ours.  To-morrow  morning  I  should  have  to  send  in  a  state- 
ment that  two  guests  have  arrived  here,  and  it  is  therefore 
most  desirable  that  you  should  move  without  delay.  For- 
tunately the  wives  of  two  or  three  of  my  captains  live  here ; 


A   GRAVE   RISK  805 

one  of  these  especially,  an  excellent  woman,  has  a  house 
much  larger  than  she  needs,  and  takes  in  lodgers,  generally 
captains  whose  families  do  not  reside  here,  when  their  ships 
are  in  port.  Therefore  the  fact  that  a  sailor  with  a  sister  and 
her  child  have  taken  rooms  there  will  excite  no  suspicion 
whatever.  She  will  as  a  matter  of  course  send  in  your  name 
to  the  police  of  the  town,  together  with  your  passes.  They 
will  be  marked  and  returned  without,  probably,  being 
glanced  at." 

"  I  think  that  that  will  be  an  excellent  arrangement,  sir," 
Leigh  said,  "and  I  quite  see  that  our  stay  here  might  be 
awkward  for  you  as  well  as  us." 

"  I  will  at  once  go  with  you,  that  is  as  soon  as  you  have 
told  your  sister  the  reason  why  it  will  be  better  for  you  to 
establish  yourselves  elsewhere  than  here.  I  may  tell  you 
that  I  myself  have  been  quietly  making  preparations  for 
flight,  but  it  is  not  all  my  captains  whom  I  can  trust.  The 
Henriette^  which  I  expect  here  shortly,  has  been  delayed,  but 
on  her  arrival  I  propose  that  we  shall  all  cross  the  Channel 
together.  I  hear  the  ladies'  voices  in  the  next  room.  It  were 
best  that  we  got  this  painful  business  over  at  once.'' 

Madame  Flambard  was  gready  distressed  when  Leigh 
gave  his  sister  an  account  of  the  conversation  they  had 
had,  and  the  resolution  at  which  they  had  arrived;  but 
Patsey  at  once  saw  that  it  was  most  desirable  that  the 
change  should  be  made,  and  assured  her  hostess  that  she 
fully  recognized  that  their  safety  would  be  imperilled  by 
staying  at  their  house. 

"It  would  be  a  cruel  kindness  on  your  part  to  insist 
upon  our  stopping  here,  Madame  Flambard.  We  know 
that  it  is  from  no  lack  of  hospitality  that  we  are  leaving, 
but  that  you  are  making  a  real  sacrifice  in  order  to  procure 
our  safety." 


308  NO   SURRENDER 

seafaring  outfit  he  will  be  safe  from  any  fear  of  detection 
as  one  of  the  terrible  Venddan    insurgents." 

At  a  quarter  to  ten  little  Louis  was  taken  out  of  bed, 
wrapped  up  in  a  cloak,  and  carried  by  Leigh.  Monsieur 
Flambard  insisted  on  again  accompanying  them.  The 
streets  were  now  almost  deserted,  and  they  soon  arrived  at 
Madame  Chopin's. 

"  I  quite  forgot  to  ask  if  you  would  want  anything  before 
going  to  bed,  but  I  can  make  you  a  cup  of  good  coffee  if 
you  would  like  it." 

"  Thank  you,  but  we  have  eaten  but  an  hour  ago." 

Saying  good-night  to  M.  Flambard,  they  went  up  to 
their  rooms,  their  hostess  leading  with  a  candle.  She  had 
made  the  most  of  her  time  since  Leigh  left  the  house. 
White  curtains  had  been  put  up  at  the  windows,  and 
everything  looked  beautifully  clean,  and  Patsey  uttered  an 
exclamation  of  pleasure  when  she  entered  the  room. 

"  This  does  indeed  look  fresh  and  home-like,"  she  said. 
**  Thank  you  for  taking  so  much  trouble,  madame." 

The  next  morning  Leigh  procured  a  jacket  and  waistcoat 
with  brass  buttons,  and  a  cap  with  a  gold  band.  He  then 
sauntered  along  the  wharves  and  went  aboard  the  Trois 
Freres^  and  told  the  skipper  that  no  news  had  been  received 
of  his  sister's  husband.  It  had  been  agreed  that  it  was 
best  that  they  should  not  go  to  Monsieur  Flambard's  house, 
but  that  the  merchant  should  call  at  the  lodging  after  dark. 
When  Leigh  returned  to  the  mid-day  meal,  he  found  that 
the  papers  had  come  back  from  the  mairie,  duly  stamped 
and  countersigned,  and  that  as  no  one  had  been  to  the 
house  to  make  inquiries,  it  was  evident  that  no  suspicion 
had  been  excited. 

During  the  next  four  or  five  days  Leigh  went  but  little 
into  the   town,  contenting   himself  with  keeping  near  the 


A   GRAVE   RISK  309 

wharves,  watching  the  vessels  loading  or  discharging  cargo, 
and  spending  much  of  his  time  on  board  the  Trois  Freres. 
On  the  afternoon  of  the  fifth  day  he  saw  a  lugger  approach- 
ing, and  as  it  came  near  he  made  out  to  his  great  delight 
that  it  was  the  HenrieMe.  As  soon  as  she  dropped  anchor 
in  the  stream,  her  boat  rowed  to  the  wharves.  Lefaux 
was  sitting  in  the  stern,  and  as  soon  as  he  landed,  went  off 
in  the  direction  of  Monsieur  Flambard's  office.  Leigh  did 
not  go  near  him.  He  thought  that  it  would  be  better  that 
the  honest  sailor  should  learn  that  he  and  his  sister  were 
there  from  the  merchant  before  he  spoke  to  him,  as  any 
imprudent  remark  on  the  sailor's  part  might  be  caught  up 
by  one  of  the  spies  of  the  committee  and  lead  to  trouble. 
As  he  expected,  Monsieur  Flambard  came  round  with 
Lefaux  that  evening. 

"  I  am  heartily  glad  to  see  you  again,  madame,"  he  said 
as  Patsey  shook  him  by  the  hand ;  "  and  you  too,  Monsieur 
Stansfield.  I  began  to  think  that  I  never  should  do  so, 
and  I  only  wish  that  Monsieur  Jean  was  here  too.  Still,  I 
feel  confident  that  he  has  got  safely  away;  trust  a  sailor 
for  getting  out  of  a  scrape.  You  must  have  gone  through 
a  lot,  madame,  but  you  don't  look  any  the  worse  for  it." 

"  Except  anxiety  for  my  husband,  I  have  gone  through 
nothing  to  speak  of.  I  had  a  horse  to  ride,  and  gener- 
ally a  shelter  to  sleep  under,  and  for  myself  I  had  little 
to  complain  of;  but  it  was  terrible  to  see  the . sufferings 
of  the  peasant  women  and  children,  and  of  the  many  men 
broken  down  by  sickness.  And  there  was,  too,  the  anxiety 
as  to  the  safety  of  my  husband  and  brother  in  each  battle 
that  took  place.  But  of  hardship  to  myself  there  was  very 
little." 

"  Well,  madame,  I  hope  that  I  shall  soon  have  the  plea- 
sure of  sailing  into  Poole  again  with  you  and   Monsieur 


310  NO   SURRENDER 

Leigh  on  board,  and  also  with  my  good  master,  Monsieur 
Flambard,  and  his  wife." 

"  When  will  you  be  off  again  ?  "  Patsey  asked  eagerly. 

"That  is  what  I  have  come  to  talk  with  you  about, 
Madame  Martin,"  Monsieur  Flambard  said.  "I  have 
pretty  good  information  as  to  what  passes  at  the  meetings 
of  the  wretches  who  call  themselves  the  committee  of  public 
safety,  and  I  hear  that  there  will  very  shortly  be  a  seizure 
of  a  number  of  prominent  citizens,  and  my  name  has  been 
mentioned.  They  are  only  hanging  back  until  they  can 
decide  upon  what  shall  be  the  pretext,  since  none  of  those 
named  have  taken  any  part  in  politics  here.  All  those  who 
have  done  so  have  been  already  seized.  However,  the 
blow  may  come  at  any  moment.  The  Henrieite  has  already 
begun  to  discharge  her  cargo ;  fortunately  there  is  not  much 
of  it.  The  moment  that  she  has  finished  she  will  drop  down 
below  the  rest  of  the  shipping,  and  be  ready  to  start  at 
any  moment.  If  we  find  that  the  matter  is  not  absolutely 
pressing,  we  will  go  quietly  on  board  as  soon  as  she  is 
ready  and  sail  at  once,  as  there  will  then  be  no  fear  of  her 
being  stopped. 

"  If,  however,  I  find  that  the  order  for  our  arrest  is  on 
the  point  of  being  issued,  I  will  send  her  down  and  let  her  lie 
beyond  Fort  Medoc  and  Blaye.  If  it  were  discovered  that 
I  was  missing  a  few  hours  after  she  had  started,  it  would"  be 
suspected  at  once  that  I  had  gone  in  the  Henrieite^  mounted 
messengers  would  carry  the  news  down  to  both  forts,  and 
the  boat  would  be  forced  to  heave  to  as  she  passed  between 
them.  Therefore  I  shall  have  a  light  carriage  with  two 
fast  horses  kept  in  readiness  a  quarter  of  a  mile  outside  the 
town,  and  a  relay  of  horses  fifteen  miles  on,  which  is  about 
half-way,  and  join  the  ship  below  the  forts.  If,  as  may 
possibly  happen,  I  am  suddenly  arrested  in  the  streets,  I 


A   GRAVE   RISK  311 

shall  have  my  servant  near  me.  He  will  have  his  orders, 
which  will  be  to  hurry  back  home  to  tell  his  mistress  to 
put  on  the  disguise  of  a  peasant  woman  that  has  already 
been  prepared  for  her,  and  to  go  with  her  at  once  to  the 
carriage ;  and  another  man  whom  I  can  also  thoroughly 
trust  is  to  come  here  and  say  to  you,  *  It  is  a  bad  day.' 
Then  you,  and  your  sister,  and  the  child  will  at  once 
start  to  join  my  wife.  She  has  most  reluctantly  consented 
to  carry  out  this  plan,  for,  as  I  tell  her,  it  will  add  to 
my  sufferings  a  hundred-fold  were  she  also  to  be  ar- 
rested." 

By  dint  of  great  exertions  the  Henriette  was  unloaded  by 
the  following  evening,  and  half  an  hour  after  her  last  bale 
was  ashore  she  dropped  down  the  river  with  the  tide.  She 
was  to  anchor  off  a  small  village  two  miles  beyond  Fort 
Medoc,  and  if  inquiry  was  made  as  to  why  she  stopped 
there,  Lefaux  was  to  say  that  he  was  to  take  in  some 
wine  that  Monsieur  Flambard  had  bought  from  a  large 
grower  in  that  district,  and  that  the  lugger  was  then 
going  to  Charente  to  fill  up  with  brandy  for  Havre.  Leigh 
had  the  day  before  gone  with  the  merchant  into  the  ex- 
tensive cellars  which  adjoined  the  house. 

"  There  is  not  a  man  here,"  Monsieur  Flambard  said, 
"  who  would  not  do  all  in  his  power  for  me.  Some  of  them 
have  been  with  the  firm  nearly  all  their  lives.  I  treat  them 
well,  and  I  am  happy  to  say  that  not  one  of  them  has  taken 
any  part  in  our  last  troubles.  Indeed,  I  am  told  that  is 
one  of  the  matters  that,  if  I  am  arrested,  will  be  brought 
against  me.  It  will  be  said  that  it  was  a  proof  of  my  enmity 
to  the  Convention  .that  none  of  my  people  took  the  side 
of  the  patriots.  However,  it  tells  both  ways.  I  have 
over  forty  men  here.  They  have,  of  course,  friends  among 
the  porters  and  others   working  on  the  wharves,  and  a  dis- 


312  NO   SURRENDER 

turbance  might  take  place  were  I  arrested.  However,  the 
scoundrels  have  now  got  such  absolute  power,  that  no  doubt 
they  feel  that  they  could  disregard  any  local  rising,  and, 
indeed,  with  the  plunder  of  my  store  before  them,  they 
could  reckon  on  the  devotion  of  the  greater  part  of  the  mob 
of  the  town." 

On  the  morning  after  the  Henriette  had  sailed,  the 
merchant  took  Leigh  down  to  a  little  wayside  inn  half  a 
mile  below  the  town,  where  he  had  placed  his  carriage  and 
horses,  and  gave  instructions  to  his  coachman  that  he  was 
to  place  himself  under  Leigh's  orders. 

"At  whatever  hour  of  the  day  or  night  he  comes,  you 
will  start  at  once  with  him,  and  the  lady  and  child  who 
accompany  him.  You  will  know  in  that  case  that  I  am  not 
coming,  but  have  been  arrested." 

*'  But,  master  —  " 

"  It  must  be  as  I  say,  Pierre.  Once  I  am  arrested  —  and 
it  is  almost  certain  my  wife  would  be  arrested  with  me  — 
nothing  can  be  done  to  help,  and  it  would  be  a  great 
satisfaction  to  me  to  know  that  my  friends  have  escaped. 
There  will  be  in  that  case  no  need  of  extreme  haste,  for 
no  one  knows  that  they  are  in  any  way  connected  with  me, 
and  there  will  be  no  inquiries  for  them." 

Leigh  told  Patsey  that  afternoon  that,  in  the  event  of 
the  Flambards  being  arrested,  he  might  possibly,  instead 
of  coming  himself,  send  a  messenger  to  her,  and  that  she 
must  then  start  at  once,  and  await  his  coming  in  front  of 
the  church,  at  the  end  of  the  street  in  which  the  merchant's 
house  stood. 

"You  had  better  have  a  letter  written  to  our  landlady, 
inclosing  the  sum  due  to  her  and  a  week's  rent  in  advance, 
and  say  that  we  are  hastily  called  away  to  Blaye,  but  may 
return  in  a  few  days,  and  begging  her  to  keep  the  rooms 


A   GRAVE   RISK  313 

vacant  for  a  week,  for  which  you  leave  the  money.  You 
had  better  write  the  letter  at  once,  so  that  if  you  get  my 
message  you  can  leave  instantly.  There  is  nothing  like 
being  prepared  for  everything.  Of  course  the  arrest  of  the 
Flambards  would  not  really  affect  us  in  any  way,  or  add  to 
our  danger,  but  if  the  coachman  were  to  hear  of  it  before 
we  got  there,  he  might  disregard  his  master's  orders  and 
return  at  once  with  the  carriage." 

Leigh  had  in  his  mind  the  very  short  notice  that  De- 
sailles  had  had  of  his  danger,  and  how  narrowly  he 
escaped  being  arrested,  although  he  had  a  friend  who  kept 
him  acquainted  with  what  was  going  on.  He  thought  that 
it  was  still  more  likely  that  the  arrest  of  the  Flambards 
would  take  place  suddenly.  It  would  probably  be  decided 
upon  by  two  or  three  of  the  men  who  were  the  leaders 
of  the  party  of  terror,  and  no  word  would  get  about  as  to 
their  intentions  until  the  arrest  had  been  absolutely  made, 
in  which  case  the  captives  would  be  lodged  in  prison  be- 
fore the  matter  would  be  known,  and  all  fear  of  an  kmeute 
be  thereby  prevented.  He  had  therefore  decided  upon 
what  was  the  best  course  to  pursue,  and  posted  himself  in 
the  street,  where  he  could  observe  anyone  who  entered  or 
left  Flambard's  house. 

It  was  already  getting  dusk  when  he  saw  two  commissa- 
ries of  the  committee,  with  six  armed  men,  stop  before  the 
door  and  knock.  It  was  opened ;  two  of  the  men  remained 
outside,  and  the  rest  entered.  He  ran  to  the  stores.  The 
head  cellarman  had  gone  round  the  place  with  him  and  his 
master,  and  Leigh  at  once  went  to  him. 

"  Lefranc,"  he  said,  "  your  master  and  mistress  have  just 
been  arrested.  Two  commissaries  and  six  armed  men  have 
gone  into  the  house.  There  is  time  to  save  them  yet. 
They  have  a  carriage  in  waiting  a  short  distance  away,  and 


314  NO   SURRENDER 

if  we  can  overpower  these  men  and  tie  them  up,  so  that  they 
cannot  give  the  alarm  until  morning,  Monsieur  Flambard  and 
his  wife  will  get  safely  away.  They  have  a  vessel  waiting  for 
them  in  readiness  down  the  river." 

"  I  am  your  man,  sir,  and  every  one  here." 

"  Half  a  dozen  will  be  enough.  Pick  out  that  number  of 
strong  fellows  whom  you  can  rely  upon.  Let  them  all  take 
off  their  aprons,  and  tear  up  this  black  silk  handkerchief,  and 
as  we  leave  the  cellar  let  each  man  put  a  piece  over  his  face 
to  act  as  a  mask.  There  is  a  private  door  leading  to  the 
house,  is  there  not?" 

"Yes,  monsieur." 

"  Well,  draw  the  men  off  quietly,  so  that  the  others  shall 
not  notice  them,  and  tell  them  to  go  to  that  door  and  to  put 
on  their  masks  there.  Let  each  man  take  some  weapon,  but 
not  a  mallet  or  anything  used  in  the  trade.  Let  them  bring 
some  stout  rope  with  them." 

The  man  nodded  and  hurried  away,  and  Leigh  went 
to  the  end  of  the  stores  abutting  on  the  house  and 
stopped  at  the  door  he  found  there.  In  a  minute  the 
men  began  to  arrive.  They  had,  as  he  directed,  thrown 
aside  their  leather  aprons  and  put  on  blouses,  so  that 
they  differed  in  no  way  in  appearance  from  ordinary  work- 
ing men.  One  or  two  were  armed  with  hammers,  others 
with  long  knives.  Each  carried  a  piece  of  black  hand- 
kerchief in  his  hand  long  enough  to  go  from  the  forehead 
down  to  the  mouth.  Leigh  tied  these  on  with  strings, 
cutting  holes  with  his  knife  through  which  they  could  see. 
When  the  six  men  and  the  foreman  had  assembled  they 
entered  the  house.  The  old  servant  was  standing  in  the 
hall  wringing  his  hands  in  distress. 

"Where  are  they?"  Leigh  asked. 

"  In  the  master's  study,  sir.  They  are  searching  the 
drawers." 


A   GRAVE   RISK  315 

"Come  on  quietly,"  Leigh  said  to  the  men.  "We  must 
take  them  by  surprise." 

The  door  of  the  study  was  standing  open,  and  hghts 
burned  within.  Leigh  had  already  instructed  his  followers 
to  go  at  once  for  the  armed  men,  and  to  knock  them  down 
before  they  had  time  to  use  their  muskets.  Going  noise- 
lessly up,  they  entered  the  door  with  a  sudden  rush.  The 
two  commissaries  were  engaged  in  emptying  the  contents 
of  the  table  drawers  into  a  basket.  The  armed  ruffians  had 
leant  their  muskets  against  the  wall,  and  had  seated  them- 
selves in  comfortable  chairs.  Flambard  stood  with  his  arm 
round  his  wife,  looking  disdainfully  at  the  proceedings  of 
the  commissaries. 

In  a  moment  the  scene  changed.  Before  the  men  could 
even  rise  from  their  seats  they  were  knocked  down,  bits  of 
sacking  thrust  into  their  mouths,  and  their  arms  tied. 
Leigh  had  levelled  one  of  the  commissaries  by  a  blow  in 
the  face,  and  the  foreman  had  struck  down  the  other  with 
a  hammer.  These  were  also  securely  tied.  The  Flambards 
stood  a  picture  of  astonishment.  The  whole  thing  had 
passed  so  instantaneously  that  they  could  scarcely  realize 
what  had  happened.  When  they  did  so,  Madame  Flambard, 
who  had  hitherto  preserved  her  calmness,  burst  into  tears, 
while  her  husband  embraced  Leigh  with  passionate  gratitude. 

"  Now,  monsieur,"  the  latter  said,  "  you  had  better  collect 
at  once  any  money  and  jewels  you  wish  to  take  with  you 
while  we  are  making  sure  of  these  ruffians.  Now,  my  men,"  he 
went  on,  "  take  these  fellows  into  different  rooms  ;  but  first  let 
me  see  that  the  ropes  are  securely  tied,  although  as  sailors 
you  are  not  likely  to  make  any  mistake  that  way.  Still, 
it  is  as  well  to  be  on  the  safe  side." 

He  himself  then  examined  the  fastenings,  and  added  a 
few  more  cords. 


316  NO   SURRENDER 

"  Now,  when  you  have  got  them  into  separate  rooms,  tie 
their  feet  to  a  heavy  piece  of  furniture  ;  make  a  slip-knot  at 
the  end  of  another  rope,  put  the  noose  round  the  neck,  and 
fasten  the  other  end  to  another  piece  of  furniture,  that 
there  may  be  no  chance  of  their  getting  loose  till  their 
friends  come  to  their  assistance." 

He  saw  all  this  securely  done.     Then  he  said : 

^'  There  is  one  more  thing  to  see  to.  In  time  those  fellows 
at  the  door  will  be  getting  impatient,  and  will  begin  to  sus- 
pect that  all  is  not  right.  We  must  get  them  inside,  and 
then  tie  them  up  with  the  others.  Stand  back  behind  the 
door  as  they  enter,  and  as  I  close  it,  throw  yourselves 
upon  them.  One  of  you  grip  each  of  them  by  the  throat, 
and  another  seize  his  musket  and  wrench  it  from  him ;  the 
rest  will  be  easy." 

The  men  placed  themselves  as  directed,  and  Leigh  then 
opened  the  door  and  said,  "  You  are  to  come  in.  They 
will  take  some  little  time  over  the  papers,  and  there  is 
plenty  of  good  wine  for  you  to  amuse  yourselves  with." 

With  an  exclamation  of  satisfaction  the  two  men  entered. 

"  It  is  very  dark  in  here,"  one  said,  as  Leigh  closed  the 
door.     "  Why  did  n't  you  get  a  light  ?  " 

The  words  were  scarcely  spoken  when  there  was  a  rush, 
a  sudden  exclamation,  the  sound  of  a  short  struggle,  and 
then  silence. 

"  Keep  hold  of  them  tightly  while  I  fetch  a  candle," 
Leigh  said,  and  running  upstairs  soon  came  down  with  the 
light.  The  two  guards  were  standing  helpless  in  the  hands 
of  their  captors,  and  gripped  so  tightly  that  they  were  un- 
able to  utter  the  least  sound. 

"  Now,  put  the  gags  into  their  mouths  and  truss  them  up 
as  you  did  the  others." 

Leaving  the  men  to  carry  out  his  orders  he  ran  upstairs 
again. 


A   GRAVE   RISK  817 

"  Everything  is  arranged  now,"  he  said.  "  The  whole  of  the 
fellows  are  bound,  and  the  road  is  free  for  you.  I  should  go 
out  by  the  back  way,  for  there  is  sure  to  be  a  little  crowd 
in  front  of  the  house  attracted  by  the  sight  of  the  guard 
standing  outside.  I  do  not  think  that  there  is  any  extraor- 
dinary hurry,  but  in  an  hour  or  so,  if  either  of  the  men 
who  have  ordered  your  arrest  is  waiting  at  the  prison,  he 
may  get  impatient,  and  send  down  to  see  what  detains  the 
party  here.  I  am  going,  in  the  first  place,  to  have  the 
servants  bound,  so  that  they  may  not  be  suspected  of 
having  aided  in  this  business.  As  soon  as  that  is  done  I 
shall  hasten  to  my  lodging  and  bring  my  sister  and  the 
child  to  the  inn  where  you  have  your  carriage.  Of  course 
you  will  have  the  horses  put  in  as  soon  as  you  get  there. 
I  shall  not  be  very  long  behind  you,  as  I  shall  take  the 
first  fiacre  and  drive  down  to  that  end  of  the  town,  and 
then  discharge  him.  As  I  am  not  in  any  way  associated 
with  you,  even  if  inquiries  are  made,  our  movements  will 
throw  no  light  upon  yours." 

The  conversation  took  place  in  the  bedroom  where 
Madame  Flambard  was,  with  her  husband,  packing  up  a 
few  necessaries. 

"  As  we  go  downstairs,"  he  went  on,  "  I  shall  make  some 
remark  about  our  going  straight  on  board.  That  will 
put  them  on  the  wrong  scent,  and  they  will  waste  a  lot 
of  time  searching  all  the  craft  in  the  river.  I  do  it  princi- 
pally because  I  want  them  to  believe  that  you  have  been 
rescued  by  a  party  of  sailors.  You  heard  me  say  that  as 
sailors  they  would  be  accustomed  to  tie  the  knots  tightly, 
and  of  course  my  uniform  will  help  to  lead  them  astray. 
The  men  with  me  were  really  some  of  your  cellarmen  under 
Le  franc." 

"We  shall  be  ready  in   three  minutes.     Fortunately  we 


318  NO  SURRENDER 

have  not  much  beyond  my  wife's  jewels  that  we  want 
to  save.  Like  your  wife's  brother,  I  have  already  made 
provision  in   England  for  this." 

"  I  will  be  off  as  soon  as  I  see  the  servants  tied  up." 

He  ran  downstairs  again.  The  two  men  and  the  maids 
willingly  suffered  themselves  to  be  tied  up  when  Leigh 
explained  to  them  the  reasons  for  which  it  was  done. 

"  Mind,"  he  said,  "  if  questioned,  you  say  you  believe 
that  the  men  who  rushed  in  and  fastened  you  up  were 
sailors." 

Before  the  work  was  done  Monsieur  Flambard  came 
down,  and  standing  at  the  door  which  communicated  with 
the  cellars,  shook  hands  with  his  rescuers  as  they  went  out, 
and  thanked  them  most  heartily  in  the  name  of  himself  as 
well  as  his  wife  for  the  service  that  they  had  rendered.  The 
men,  before  they  passed  through  the  door,  took  off  their 
masks.  It  had  already  been  arranged  that  they  should  at 
once  scatter  and  return  quietly  to  the  places  where  they 
had  been  at  work,  and  in  so  large  a  place  it  was  not  likely 
that  their  absence  had  been  noticed,  as  it  would  be  supposed 
that  they  had  gone  to  another  part  of  the  cellar,  and  it 
was  not  above  twenty  minutes  since  they  had  left  it. 
As  soon  as  they  had  gone  out,  the  door  was  locked  on  the 
inside.  Leigh  and  the  Flambards  went  out  at  the  back 
entrance  into  another  street  and  there  separated,  Leigh 
hurrying  back  to  his  lodgings.  Madame  Chopin  opened 
the  door. 

"Madame,"  he  said,  "  I  have  good  news  for  my  sister.  I 
hope  that  we  shall  be  able  to  obtain  news  of  her  husband 
at  Blaye,  for  he  may,  if  my  information  is  correct,  have 
sailed  up  the  Dordogne,  and  we  may  catch  him  as  he  comes 
down  again.  If  my  information  is  not  correct,  we  shall 
return  here.      I  will  therefore,  if  you  will  allow  me,  pay 


A   GRAVE    RISK  319 

you  our  reckoning  at  once,  and  also  the  rent  of  the  rooms 
for  another  week,  so  that  if  we  return  we  may  find  them 
unoccupied." 

"  But  you  are  not  going  to  start  this  evening  surely, 
monsieur?" 

"  Yes  ;  I  have  arranged  for  a  passage  on  a  boat  that  is  on 
the  point  of  starting,  and  have  not  a  moment  to  lose." 

He  ran  upstairs  to  Patsey. 

"They  have  gone  on  to  the  carriage,"  he  said.  **  Put  on 
Louis's  things  and  your  own  ;  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it  as 
we  go." 

He  then  went  down  again  and  settled  up  with  his  land- 
lady, who  was  profuse  in  her  exclamations  of  regret  at  their 
departure.  In  a  couple  of  minutes  Patsey  came  down.  She 
had  the  letter  that  she  had  written  in  her  hand.  Leigh  took 
it  from  her. 

"  I  have  already  settled  up  with  our  kind  hostess,"  he  said. 
"  Say  good-bye,  dear,  at  once,  or  the  boat  may  be  starting 
without  us." 

A  minute  later  they  were  out  of  the  house.  Leigh  carried 
Louis,  and  led  the  way  to  a  spot  near,  where  two  or  three 
fiacres  were  always  standing.  He  took  the  first,  and  told 
the  driver  to  put  them  down  in  a  street  at  the  lower  end  of 
the  town,  the  name  of  which  he  had  noticed  when  he  went 
with  Monsieur  Flambard  to  the  inn  where  the  carriage  was 
standing.  When  he  got  to  the  end  of  the  street  he  told  the 
driver  to  stop,  saying  that  he  was  not  sure  of  the  number. 
Paying  the  man  his  fare,  they  walked  slowly  down  the  street 
until  the  fiacre  had  driven  off,  and  then  returning,  took  the 
road  leading  into  the  country.  Ten  minutes'  walking  brought 
them  close  to  the  little  inn.  They  met  the  carriage  coming 
along  slowly  three  hundred  yards  before  they  arrived  there. 
It  stopped  at  once. 


820  NO   SURRENDER 

"You  are  here  sooner  than  I  expected,  madame," 
Monsieur  Flambard  said,  as  he  alighted  and  helped  Patsey 
in. 

As  she  took  her  place  by  the  side  of  Madame  Flambard 
the  latter  threw  her  arms  round  her  neck. 

"  Thank  God  this  awful  time  is  over  !  "  she  said.  "  It  is 
to  your  brother  we  owe  it  that  we  are  not  both  now  in  that 
terrible  prison." 

"  Leigh  is  good  at  breaking  prison,"  Patsey  said.  "  He 
rescued  me  from  the  gaol  at  Nantes." 

By  this  time  her  husband  and  Leigh  had  taken  their 
places,  Louis,  still  soundly  asleep,  was  transferred  to  his 
mother's  lap,  and  the  carriage,  turning,  went  back  at  the 
full  speed  of  the  horses. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

HOME 

"TT7HY  did  you  come  down  the  road?"  Leigh  asked 
VV  Monsieur  Flambard  as  the  carriage  flew  past  the 
little  inn.  "  We  had  not  arranged  for  that,  and  in  the 
dark  we  might  have  passed  it  without  knowing  that  it  was 
yours." 

"  We  were  on  the  look-out  for  you,  and  had  no  fear 
of  missing  you.  I  decided  to  drive  back  to  the  town  as 
we  went  out.  I  believe  the  innkeeper  to  be  an  honest 
fellow,  and  he  has  been  one  of  our  customers  for  a  number 
of  years,  but  I  thought  it  just  as  well  to  throw  dust  in  his 
eyes.  Therefore,  as  I  got  into  the  carriage,  I  said  in  his 
hearing,  '  Don't  go  through  the  main  streets  of  the  town, 
but  drive  round  and  strike  the  road  beyond  it.     Keep  on 


HOME  ^21 

to  Langon ;  we  shall  stop  there  to-night.'  We  drove  off 
fast,  and  only  broke  into  a  walk  just  before  you  met  us. 
The  innkeeper  would  have  gone  into  the  house  again  before 
we  met,  and  as  I  noticed  that  the  shutters  were  up,  he 
certainly  would  not  have  supposed  that  the  vehicle  which 
passed  was  our  carriage  coming  back  again.  Well,  thank 
God  we  are  all  safe  and  together !  In  three  hours  we 
shall  be  at  the  village.  Lefaux  was  to  keep  a  boat  ashore, 
and  to  be  himself  at  the  inn.  There  is  only  one  in  the 
village." 

The  road  was  a  good  one,  and  the  horses  fast,  and  in  less 
than  an  hour  and  a  half  they  reached  the  spot  where  the 
relay  of  horses  had  been  stationed.  Five  minutes  sufficed 
to  make  the  change,  and  in  a  little  under  three  hours  after 
starting  they  arrived  at  the  village  two  miles  below  Fort 
Medoc,     They  stopped  at  the  first  house. 

"  Now,  Gregoire,"  Monsieur  Flambard  said  as  they 
alighted,  "  here  are  five  louis  for  yourself.  You  had  better 
drive  back  to  the  place  where  we  changed  horses  and  put 
up  there  for  the  night ;  to-morrow  you  can  go  quietly  back 
to  Bordeaux.  Don't  get  there  until  late  in  the  afternoon. 
Return  the  carriage  and  the  other  two  horses  to  the  stables 
where  you  hired  them,  and  take  my  two  horses  back  to 
our  stables.  You  are  sure  to  be  questioned,  and  can  tell 
them  the  truth.  Say  that  you  acted  by  my  orders,  and 
had  no  idea  of  the  reason  for  which  I  had  hired  the 
carriage  and  the  extra  horses ;  that  you  knew  that  I  often 
made  flying  visits  to  the  vineyards,  and  you  thought  I 
wanted  to  see  some  proprietor  of  Medoc  on  business  and 
to  return  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  were  much  surprised 
when  you  saw  that  madame  went  with  me.  Do  not  say 
anything  about  our  picking  up  my  friends  on  the  road." 
"  I  understand,  monsieur,  and  I  will  stick  to  that  story. 


322  NO    SURRENDER 

God  bless  you,  sir,  and  you,  madame,  and  I  trust  that 
before  long  you  will  be  back  again  with  us." 

"  I  hope  so,  Gregoire,  but  I  fear  it  will  not  be  for  some 
time  to  come." 

They  now  walked  forward,  Leigh  hurrying  on  in  front 
until  he  came  to  the  little  village  inn.  It  was  already 
closed,  but  on  his  knocking  violently  at  the  door,  a  window 
above  was  opened. 

"  What  are  you  making  such  a  noise  for  at  this  time  of 
night?" 

"  I  have  come  to  call  Captain  Lefaux,"  he  said.  "  A 
messenger  has  just  brought  an  order  from  Bordeaux  that 
he  is  to  get  up  anchor  at  daylight." 

"  I  will  call  him,"  the  landlord  said,  and  in  three  minutes 
Lefaux  came  out. 

"We  are  all  here,  Lefaux,"  Leigh  said,  "and  we  want 
to  go  on  board  and  get  up  anchor  at  once,  and  to  be  as  far 
down  the  river  as  we  can  before  daylight." 

"The  saints  be  praised  that  you  have  all  escaped, 
Monsieur  Stansfield !  We  will  lose  no  time.  I  have  two 
men  sleeping  in  a  cottage  close  to  where  the  boat  is  made 
fast.  They  sleep  on  the  ground  floor,  and  I  can  tap  at  the 
window  and  get  them  out.  I  told  them  to  turn  in  as  they 
stood,  as  they  might  be  wanted  at  any  moment." 

The  others  had  now  come  up,  and  together  they  went  down 
to  the  boat.  The  tide  had  turned  about  an  hour  before,  and 
the  boat  was  afloat. 

"  Now,  I  will  fetch  the  men  out,"  the  skipper  said,  and 
in  five  minutes  he   came  down  with  them. 

They  untied  the  head-rope  of  the  boat  from  the  stump  to 
which  it  was  fastened  and  hauled  it  in. 

"That  is  the  lugger,  I  suppose?  "  Leigh  said,  pointing  to 
a  dark  object  a  hundred  yards  from  the  shore. 


HOME  823 

"  That  is  her,  sir,  and  it  won't  take  us  long  to  get  under 
weigh.     Everything  is  ready  for  hoisting  sail." 

They  rowed  off  to  the  Henrieite,  and  Leigh  could  hardly 
restrain  a  shout  of  joy  at  finding  himself  once  again  on 
board  her.  The  crew  had  been  unchanged  since  they  left 
Nantes,  and  tumbling  up  on  deck  as  they  heard  the  boat 
coming  off,  greeted  Leigh  most  heartily,  and  respectfully 
saluted  Patsey  and  their  owner.  They  would  have  broken 
into  cheers  had  not  their  skipper  sharply  silenced  them. 

"  It  will  be  time  enough  to  cheer  when  we  reach  the  open 
sea,  lads,"  he  said,  "and  we  will  do  so  more  heartily  still 
when  we  land  Madame  Martin,  Monsieur  Leigh,  and  the 
owner  and  his  wife  either  on  English  ground  or  the  deck 
of  an  English  ship." 

"You  mistake,  captain,"  Monsieur  Flambard  said.  "As 
you  know,  the  lugger  was  only  passed  over  to  me  by 
Monsieur  Martin  to  escape  confiscation.  There  is  no  longer 
any  need  that  I  should  appear  as  owner,  and  in  fact 
Madame  Martin,  as  representative  of  her  husband,  is  the 
owner  of  the  Henriette,  and  I  and  my  wife  are  passengers  on 
board  her." 

"  I  hope  that  you  will  find  it  all  right  below,  madame," 
Captain  Lefaux  said.-  "  Captain  Martin's  cabin  —  we  have 
always  called  it  so  —  is  ready  for  you  and  Madame  Flambard, 
monsieur  will  take  the  spare  cabin,  and  Monsieur  Leigh 
mine." 

"  I  will  sleep  on  one  of  the  sofas  in  the  saloon,  captain. 
I  should  not  feel  comfortable  if  I  turned  you  out;  and 
besides,  I  like  being  able  to  pop  quietly  on  deck  whenever 
I  feel  inclined :  so  that  is  settled." 

"  Now  we  will  have  a  tumbler  of  hot  brandy  and  water," 
the  captain  said ;  "  you  have  had  a  cold  drive.  What  will 
you  take,  ladies?" 


324  NO   SURRENDER 

Both  declared  that  they  wanted  nothing  but  to  get  to 
bed,  and  they  at  once  retired  to  the  after-cabin,  with  httle 
Louis,  who  had  slept  without  waking  ever  since  he  had 
been  lifted  from  his  bed  at  Bordeaux.  The  captain  had 
given  orders  as  soon  as  he  came  on  board  to  have  the 
sails  hoisted,  and  as  Monsieur  Flambard  and  Leigh  sipped 
their  grog  they  had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing  the  water 
rippling  past,  and  of  feeling  by  the  heel  of  the  boat  that 
there  was  sufficient  wind  to  send  them  along  at  a  good 
rate. 

"  What  is  she  making,  captain?"  Leigh  asked  as  he  went 
up  to  take  a  last  look  round. 

"  About  five  knots,  but  the  wind  is  getting  up.  There 
was  scarcely  a  breath  when  I  turned  in  at  ten  o'clock.*'' 

"How  far  do  you  call  it  to  the  mouth  of  the  river?  " 

"  It  is  about  forty  miles  to  the  tower  of  Cordouan.  Once 
past  that  we  reckon  we  are  at  sea." 

"  Eight  hours  going  at  five  knots.  It  is  nearly  twelve 
now;  it  will  be  daylight  when  we  get  there." 

"  I  hope  that  we  shall  be  there  before  that,  sir.  You 
have  not  allowed  for  the  tide  nor  for  the  wind  increasing.  I 
reckon  we  shall  be  there  by  six,  and  day  does  not  begin  to 
break  till  an  hour  later.  I  want  to  get  past  without  being 
seen.  There  are  always  a  couple  of  gun-boats  lying  there.  I 
fancy  that  they  know  us  pretty  well  by  this  time,  but 
sometimes  as  we  go  out  they  make  us  lie  to  and  come  on 
board,  to  see  that  we  are  not  taking  off  suspected  per- 
sons, and  that  any  passengers  we  have  tally  with  those  on 
the  manifest.  If  they  should  take  it  into  their  heads  to 
do  that  in  the  morning  it  would  be  awkward,  and  I  am 
anxious  to  get  past  without  being  seen.  Once  out  of  gun- 
shot I  do  not  mind.  I  fancy  that  we  can  show  our  heels  to 
either  of  the  gun-boats." 


HOME  325 

Leigh  and  Monsieur  Flambard  turned  in.  The  latter 
slept  soundly,  but  Leigh  went  frequently  on  deck. 

"She  is  doing  well,"  the  captain  said  gleefully,  "she  is 
going  fully  seven  knots  an  hour.  You  see,  Master  Leigh,  I 
still  keep  to  Captain  Martin's  terms  and  count  by  knots 
instead  of  by  leagues.  The  tide  is  giving  us  another  two 
knots.  I  reckon  that  at  the  rate  we  are  going  we  shall  keep 
it  pretty  nearly  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  river ;  seven  and 
two  are  nine,  and  as  I  have  just  been  looking  up  the  chart, 
and  as  I  find  that  it  is  but  thirty-seven  from  the  village  where 
we  started,  we  shall  do  it  in  five  hours  at  the  outside.  The 
river  is  wide  at  the  mouth,  and  by  heading  south  directly 
we  get  there,  and  running  so  for  a  couple  of  miles  before 
we  put  straight  out  to  sea,  there  will  be  no  chance  whatever 
of  our  being  seen.  Once  away  we  shall  of  course  lay  a 
course  inside  the  islands  till  we  are  off  Finisterre,  then  we 
can  either  strike  out  into  the  Channel  or  coast  along  as  far 
as  Cape  la  Hague,  and  thence  sail  straight  for  Poole.  But 
there  is  no  occasion  to  discuss  that  at  present." 

Satisfied  with  the  assurance  of  the  captain,  Leigh  turned 
in  again  at  two  o'clock,  and  this  time  slept  soundly.  When 
he  awoke  the  motion  of  the  vessel  told  him  he  was  at 
sea,  and  he  saw  that  it  was  broad  daylight.  Leaping  off 
the  sofa,  he  saw  by  his  watch  that  it  was  eight  o'clock, 
and  he  was  speedily  on  deck.     The  mate  was  in  charge. 

"  The  captain  turned  in  half  an  hour  ago,  sir.  Do  you 
wish  him  to  be  called?" 

"  Certainly  noi.     Where  are  we  now  ?  " 

"  We  are  just  passing  between  the  island  of  Oleron  and 
the  mainland." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  see.  When  I  came  down,  of  course  we  saw 
it  from  the  other  way,  and  I  did  not  recognize  it  at  first. 
So  we  managed  to  get  past  Cordouan  without  being 
seen  ?  " 


326  NO   SURRENDER 

"Yes,  we  rounded  the  south  point  of  the  river  before 
six  o'clock,  laid  her  head  south-west  for  an  hour,  and  just 
as  it  became  light  changed  our  course  north  and  passed 
three  miles  to  seaward  of  the  tower.  They  doubtless  sup- 
posed that  we  were  coming  up  from  Bayonne.  At  any 
rate,   they  paid  no  attention  to  us." 

"  The  wind  is  blowing  pretty  strongly." 

'*  Yes,  sir,  we  should  have  had  a  rough  tumble  of  sea  if  it 
had  been  from  the  west,  and  should  have  had  to  lie  up 
under  shelter  of  the  island,  but  as  it  is  blowing  right  off 
shore  it  is  just  about  the  right  strength  for  us,  and  we  shall 
make  a  quick  run  of  it  if  it  holds.  I  hear  there  is  no 
news  of  Captain  Martin,  monsieur?" 

"  No,  I  am  sorry  to  say  there  is  not ;  but  I  have  fevery 
hope  that  we  shall  find  he  has  got  to  Poole  before  us." 

"We  are  all  hoping  that  nothing  has  happened  to  him. 
Of  course  we  heard  that  he  was  fighting  in  La  Vendee,  and 
as  every  one  of  us  comes  from  one  port  or  another  there  we 
only  wished  that  we  had  been  with  him." 

*•'  You  were  well  out  of  it,  Edouard  ;  it  was  a  terrible  busi- 
ness. No  one  could  have  fought  better  than  your  people 
did,  but  they  had  all  France  against  them ;  and  few  indeed 
of  those  who  were  engaged  from  the  first  can  ever  have  re- 
turned to  their  homes.  And  even  when  they  get  there 
there  can  be  no  safety  for  them,  for  Carrier  and  his  com- 
missioners seem  to  be  determined  to  annihilate  the  Vendeans 
altogether." 

The  mate  indulged  in  many  strong  expiessions  as  to  the 
future  fate  of  Carrier  and  his  underlings. 

"We  heard  of  that  attack  on  the  jail.  Master  Leigh.  I 
guessed  that  you  were  in  that,  for  among  the  prisoners  who 
were  delivered  the  names  of  Monsieur  Martin  and  Madame 
Jean  Martin  were  mentioned." 


HOME  827 

"Yes,  Captain  Martin  and  I  were  in  the  thick  of  it. 
There  was  very  little  fighting  to  do,  for  we  chose  a  time 
when  the  troops  were  all  busy  with  Cathelineau's  and 
Stofflet's  attack,  and  we  had  really  only  to  open  the  door 
of  the  prison  to  get  them  out." 

"  The  captain  has  been  telling  us  that  Monsieur  Flambard 
was  also  in  danger  of  arrest.  It  is  atrocious.  Everyone 
knows  that  he  is  a  good  master,  and  I  never  heard  a  word 
said  against  him." 

"  That  has  very  little  to  do  with  it,"  Leigh  said.  *^  His 
crime  was  that  he  was  rich,  and  the  scoundrels  wanted  his 
money.  They  did  arrest  him,  but  he  was  rescued  before 
they  got  him  out  of  his  house,  and  fortunately  everything 
had  been  prepared  for  his  flight.  At  the  present  moment 
they  are  searching  high  and  low  for  him,  and  I  expect  that 
no  craft  there  will  be  permitted  to  leave  till  she  has  been 
thoroughly  ransacked,  to  make  sure  that  he  and  madame 
are  not  hiding  there."  . 

"Ah,  they  are  bad  times,  monsieur.  It  may  be  that 
things  were  not  quite  as  they  might  have  been,  though  for 
my  part  I  never  saw  anything  to  grumble  at,  nor  did  any 
other  Vendean  as  far  as  I  ever  heard ;  but  if  things  had 
been  ten  times  as  bad  as  they  were,  they  would  have  been 
better  than  what  is  going  on  now.  Why,  monsieur,  all 
Europe  must  think  that  we  Frenchmen  are  devils.  They 
say  that  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  people  have  been 
put  to  death,  not  counting  the  loss  in  La  Vendue." 

"  Which  must  be  quite  as  much  more,  Edouard  ;  and  it  is 
no  consolation  to  know  that  the  loss  of  the  Blues  must  have 
been  fully  equal  to  ours." 

"  How  is  it  to  end,  monsieur?'* 

"  I  think  that  the  first  part  will  end  soon.  As  far  as  I 
could  find  out  as  we  travelled  through  the  country,  and  in 


328  NO   SURRENDER 

Paris,  even  the  mob  are  getting  sick  of  this  terrible  blood- 
shed. That  feeling  will  get  stronger,  until  finally  I  beHeve 
that  Robespierre  and  his  gang  will  be  overturned.  What 
will  come  after  that  I  don't  know.  One  may  hope  that  some 
strong  man  will  rise,  drive  out  the  Convention,  and  establish 
a  fixed  government.  After  that,  I  should  say  that  no  one 
can  guess  what  will  follow." 

"  There  is  one  consolation,  monsieur,  no  change  can  be  for 
the  worse.'' 

"That  is  absolutely  certain."  He  went  to  the  galley. 
"  Well,  cook,  when  are  you  going  to  let  us  have  some  break- 
fast? I  am  famishing,  for  I  have  eaten  nothing  since  twelve 
o'clock  yesterday." 

"  It  will  be  ready  in  twenty  minutes,  monsieur.  I  was  just 
going  to  ask  you  if  you  would  call  the  ladies,  or  whether  you 
will  take  the  caf^  au  lait  and  eggs  to  their  door." 

"I  will  go  and  ask  them." 

He  went  and  knocked  at  the  cabin  door.  "  Patsey,  caf6 
au  lait  will  be  ready  in  twenty  minutes.  Will  you  and 
Madame  Flambard  take  it  in  your  cabin  or  come  into 
the  saloon?" 

"  I  am  just  dressed,  and  shall  be  up  on  deck  with  Louis 
in  two  or  three  minutes.  Madame  Flambard  will  not  get 
up.  It  is  her  first  voyage,  and  she  will  not  take  anything  to 
eat." 

He  was  just  going  to  knock  at  the  merchant's  door  when 
there  was  a  shout  from  within,  "  I  have  heard  what  you  are 
saying,  and  shall  be  dressed  in  ten  minutes." 

Patsey  was  soon  on  deck. 

"  This  is  splendid,  Leigh  !  and  now  that  we  have  got  away 
so  wonderfully  I  feel  more  hopeful  than  I  have  done  before 
that  Jean  also  will  have  made  his  escape.  Well,  Louis, 
what  do  you  think  of  this?     You  had  better  keep  hold  of 


HOME  S29 

your  uncle's  hand,  as  well  as  mine,  or  you  may  get  a  nasty 
tumble." 

"  Nasty,  bad  ship,  mama  ?  " 

"It  is  because  the  wind  is  blowing  hard  and  the  sea  is 
rough.   We  had  smooth  water  on  our  last  voyage,  you  know." 

"Louis  not  like  him,"  he  said  positively;  **  very  bad 
ship/' 

"  You  will  be  all  right  if  you  keep  hold  of  your  uncle's 
hand.     He  will  walk  up  and  down  with  you." 

"  This  is  good,  indeed,"  Monsieur  Flambard  said.  "  If  we 
go  on  as  well  as  we  have  begun  we  shall  have  nothing  to 
grumble  at." 

The  voyage  to  Ushant  was  accomplished  without  any  ad- 
venture. The  lugger  was  so  evidently  French  that  two 
or  three  privateers  who  passed  close  by  paid  no  attention  to 
them;  and  although  they  saw  the  sails  of  more  than  one 
British  cruiser,  they  either  escaped  observation  or  were  con- 
sidered too  insignificant  to  be  chased.  On  the  voyage  they 
had  agreed  that  when  they  came  to  Ushant  they  would 
be  guided  by  the  wind.  If  it  continued  to  blow  as  it  had 
done  from  the  east,  it  would  be  a  great  loss  of  time  to  beat 
in  to  St.  Malo,  and  they  would  be  within  sight  of  England 
long  before  they  could  make  in  there.  As  the  wind  was 
unchanged  they  therefore  laid  their  course  from  Ushant  for 
the  Isle  of  Wight.  Before  they  had  been  many  hours  out 
they  saw  an  English  brig  of  war  making  toward  them.  They 
did  not  attempt  to  escape,  but  slightly  changed  their  course 
so  as  to  head  for  her.  As  the  brig  approached  they  lowered 
their  mainsail.  The  brig  was  thrown  up  into  the  wind  a 
couple  of  lengths  away. 

"  Send  your  boat  on  board ! "  the  captain  of  the  brig 
shouted.  They  had  indeed  already  got  the  boat  over  the 
side. 


330  NO   SURRENDER 

"  You  may  as  well  come  with  me,"  Leigh  said  as  he 
stepped  into  her.  "  Monsieur  Flambard  will  take  care  of 
Louis  while  you  are  away."  Seeing  that  there  was  a  woman 
in  the  boat  the  brig  lowered  its  accommodation  ladder,  and 
the  captain  was  standing  at  the  gangway. 

"We  are  English,  sir,"  Leigh  said.  "The  lugger  is  owned 
by  my  sister's  husband  if  he  is  alive.  If  not,  I  suppose  it 
belongs  to  her.  We  are  escaping  from  France  with  two 
French  friends.  My  brother-in-law  was  a  Vendean,  and  has 
fought  through  the  war.  We  were  with  him  until  at  the 
attack  on  Le  Mans  we  were  separated.  We  hope  to 
meet  him  at  Poole.  The  vessel  traded  between  that  port 
and  Nantes  until  the  war  broke  out.  Some  members 
of  the  family  are  already  established  there,  and  our 
father  is  a  magistrate,  living  within  a  couple  of  miles  of 
the  town." 

"  I  am  sorry,  madam,  that  I  cannot  offer  you  a  passage, 
but  I  must  not  leave  my  cruising  ground." 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  we  are  doing  very  well  in  the  lugger. 
We  intend  to  register  her  as  a  British  vessel,  and  the  crew, 
who  are  all  Vend^ans,  will  probably  remain  in  our  service 
until  things  settle  down  in  France." 

"  And  were  you  through  the  war  too,  madam  ? "  the  cap- 
tain asked  Patsey. 

"  Not  through  the  whole  of  it,"  she  replied.  "  Our  chateau 
was  burned  down  by  the  Republicans,  and  I  was  carried  to 
the  prison  at  Nantes,  and  should  have  been  guillotined  had 
not  my  husband  and  brother  rescued  me  when  the  Vendeans 
were  attacking  the  town.  I  remained  at  the  farmhouse 
until  the  Vendeans  could  no  longer  maintain  themselves  in 
La  Vendee  and  crossed  the  Loire,  then  I  accompanied  my 
husband." 

"  Well,    madam,   I    congratulate    you   heartily   on    your 


HOME  831 

escape.  We  heard  terrible  tales  in  England  of  what  is  going 
on  in  France." 

"  However  terrible  they  are  they  can  hardly  give  you  an 
idea  of  the  truth.  At  Nantes,  for  instance,  the  guillotine  is 
too  slow,  and  hundreds  of  men,  women,  and  children  are  put 
into  boats,  which  are  sunk  in  the  middle  of  the  river.  It  is 
too  horrible  to  think  of." 

"Is  there  anything  that  I  can  do  for  you,  madam? 
Anything  in  the  way  of  provisions  with  which  we  can  supply 
you." 

"  No,  thank  you,  we  have  everything  that  we  can  want." 

"  Then  I  will  detain  you  no  further,  "  he  said,  "  and  can 
only  wish  you  a  pleasant  voyage.  I  see  by  the  course  you 
are  steering  that  you  are  making  for  the  Isle  of  Wight.  You 
ought  to  be  there  to-morrow  afternoon." 

The  boat  returned  to  the  lugger,  the  sails  were  filled  again, 
and  at  four  next  afternoon  the  Henriette  passed  Hand- 
fast  Point  and  headed  for  the  entrance  to  Poole  harbour. 
As  the  distance  from  home  lessened,  Patsey's  excitement 
increased  hourly.  She  could  not  sit  down  for  a  minute 
quietly,  but  walked  restlessly  up  and  down  the  deck.  She 
had  scarcely  spoken  when  Leigh  said,  after  a  long  look 
through  the  telescope : 

"  I  can  make  out  the  house  on  the  hill  quite  plainly,  Patsey." 

At  any  other  time  Patsey,  who  dearly  loved  their  old 
home,  would  have  shown  the  liveliest  interest ;  but  just  then 
her  thoughts  were  all  of  Jean,  and  she  could  spare  none  for 
anything  else. 

"  They  must  have  made  us  out  by  this  time,"  she  said, 
as  they  passed  Durleston. 

"  I  should  think  so,  but  I  don't  suppose  they  watch  as  we 
used  to  do  in  the  old  days.  The  revenue  men  up  there  "  — 
and  he  nodded  up  the  cliff — ''  must  of  course  see  that  we 


332  NO   SURRENDER 

are  French,  and  if  there  are  any  of  them  who  were  here  three 
or  four  years  ago,  no  doubt  they  know  us  again,  and  must  be 
wondering  what  brings  us  here." 

They  had  scarcely  passed  Durleston  when  Patsey  sprang 
on  to  the  rail,  holding  fast  by  the  shrouds,  and  gazed  intently 
at  the  narrow  entrance  of  the  channel  between  the  island  and 
the  mainland. 

"  There  is  a  boat  coming  out,"  she  exclaimed. 

"  The  coast-guard  are  sure  to  have  launched  their  boat  as 
soon  as  they  made  us  out.  They  would  naturally  come  out 
to  inquire  what  a  French  lugger  is  doing  here." 

He  went  forward  with  his  telescope  and  took  a  long  look 
at  the  boat.     "  Yes,  it  is  the  coast-guard  rowing  six  oars." 

In  a  minute  or  two  he  went  back  to  his  sister. 

"  Do  get  down,  Patsey,"  he  urged.  "Of  course  they  may 
have  news  of  Jean,  but  you  must  not  be  disappointed  too 
much  if  they  have  not.  You  know  that  we  have  agreed  all 
along  that  very  Hkely  we  shall  be  the  first  back,  and  no  news 
cannot  be  considered  as  bad  news.  It  will  only  mean  that 
we  must  wait." 

She  shook  her  head,  but  did  not  reply. 

"There  are  three  men  in  the  stern,"  she  said  at  last. 

Leigh  sprang  up  onto  the  rail  behind  her. 

"Yes,  there  are  three  sitters." 

Suddenly  one  of  the  men  stood  up.  The  boat  was  still 
too  far  away  for  the  figure  to  be  distinguished.  Leigh  would 
have  called  to  the  captain  to  use  his  glass,  but  he  feared  to 
hold  out  even  a  hope  to  Patsey  that  Jean  might  be  in  the 
boat.  A  minute  later  the  standing  figure  began  to  wave  his 
arms  wildly. 

"  It  is  Jean,  it  is  Jean  ! "  Patsey  cried,  "  he  has  made  me 
out." 

It  was  well  that  Leigh  had  taken  his  place  beside  her,  for 


HOME  333 

suddenly  her  figure  swayed ;  his  arm  closed  round  her,  and 
calling  to  the  captain  to  help  him,  he  lowered  her  and  laid 
her  on  the  deck. 

"  My  sister  has  fainted ;  bring  a  bucket  of  water."  Madame 
Flambard  took  Patsey  from  him.  "  She  thinks  she  sees  her 
husband  in  that  boat,"  Leigh  said.  "  Pray  try  and  get  her 
round  before  it  comes  up.  I  think  it  must  be  he,  but  if  it 
should  not  be  we  will  take  her  below  directly  we  are  sure.  It 
will  be  a  terrible  blow  to  her  to  be  disappointed  now ;  but 
possibly  they  may  have  news  of  him,  and  that  would  be 
almost  as  good  as  his  being  here." 

"She  could  not  have  recognized  him  at  this  distance," 
Monsieur  Flambard  said. 

"  No,  she  did  not ;  but  he  would  have  recognized  her. 
At  least  he  must  have  seen  that  there  was  a  woman  standing 
upon  the  rail  watching  them,  and  it  was  hardly  likely  that 
coming  in  his  own  boat  it  should  be  anyone  but  her.  I 
don't  see  why  anyone  else  should  have  waved  his  arms  sud- 
denly in  the  way  that  he  did." 

He  took  the  bucket  of  water  from  Lefaux's  hands. 

"  We  think  it  is  Captain  Martin,"  he  said.  "  Run  up 
the  shrouds  and  take  a  look  through  the  glass."  Then, 
taking  a  double  handful  of  water,  he  dashed  it  into  his 
sister's  face. 

"  But,  monsieur  —  '*  Madame  Flambard  began  to  remon- 
strate. 

"Oh,  it  does  not  matter  about  her  being  wet  a  bit," 
Leigh  said,  "  the  great  thing  is  to  bring  her  round.  There, 
she  is  opening  her  eyes.  I  never  saw  her  faint  before  ;  she 
is  not  that  sort." 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  joyous  shout  from  the  skip- 
per, "It  is  Captain  Martin  himself;  hurrah,  boys!  it  is  the 
captain." 


334  NO   SURRENDER 

The  crew  broke  into  joyous  shouts. 

"It  is  Jean,  Patsey,"  Leigh  said  sharply.  "Thank  God 
it  is  he.  Steady,  steady !  "  he  added,  as  his  sister  suddenly 
sat  up  and  held  out  her  arms  to  be  lifted  to  her  feet.  "  Are 
you  all  right,  dear?  He  will  not  be  alongside  for  some  little 
time.     Don't  try  to  get  up  for  a  minute  or  two." 

As  Madame  Flambard  supported  her  he  ran  down  into 
the  cabin,  poured  out  a  little  brandy  and  water,  and  ran  up- 
stairs again  with  the  glass.  "  There,  dear,  drink  this ;  you 
must  be  strong  enough  to  greet  him  as  he  comes  alongside." 

She  drank  it  up,  and  then  he  helped  her  to  her  feet. 
She  stood  leaning  on  the  rail,  but  unable  to  see  the  boat 
through  her  tears.  Leigh  ran  up  a  few  of  the  ratlines  and 
waved  his  cap,  and  two  or  three  minutes  later  the  whole 
crew,  clustered  along  the  side,  raised  a  loud  cheer  as  the 
boat  came  near.  Patsey  held  out  her  arms  to  Jean,  who 
had,  after  his  first  eager  signal,  dropped  back  into  his  seat, 
and  sat  there  with  his  face  covered  in  his  hands  until 
within  two  or  three  hundred  yards  of  the  lugger,  then  he 
had  stood  up  again.  He  waved  his  cap  in  reply  to  the 
cheers  of  the  crew,  but  his  eyes  were  fixed  upon  Patsey. 
As  the  boat  came  alongside,  he  sprang  on  to  the  channel, 
swung  himself  over  the  rail,  Patsey  falling  into  his  arms 
as  his  feet  touched  the  deck.  The  others  all  drew  back, 
and  for  two  or  three  minutes  husband  and  wife  stood 
together ;  then  Jean,  placing  Patsey  in  a  chair,  turned  and 
embraced  Leigh  warmly. 

"  I  felt  sure  that  you  would  bring  her  back  safely,"  he 
said,  "I  never  allowed  myself  to  doubt  it  for  a  minute; 
and  as  soon  as  I  made  the  lugger  out  from  the  height 
there,  I  was  sure  that  she  was  on  board,  and  ran  down  to 
the  coast-guard  station,  and  Captain  Whiffler  and  the  crew 
were  in  her  in  a  couple  of  minutes.    Where  is  Louis  ? " 


FOR    TWO    OR    THREE    MINUTES    HUSBAND    AND    WIFE    STolJI^ 
TOGETHER." 


HOME  335 

"  Here  he  is  !  "  Monsieur  Flambard  said,  coming  forward 
with  the  child  in  his  arms. 

Louis  knew  his  father  at  once,  and  greeted  him  with  a 
little  shout  of  pleasure. 

"  And  you  too,  Flambard?  "  Jean  said,  after  he  had  kissed 
and  embraced  his  boy.  "  I  am  glad  indeed  that  you  too 
have  escaped  from  that  inferno  they  call  France." 

"  Yes,  and  my  wife  too,  Martin ;  and,  like  your  wife,  we 
owe  our  safety  to  Leigh.'' 

Although  they  had  not  met  before,  Jean  and  Madame 
Flambard  shook  hands  as  warmly  as  if  they  had  been 
old  friends,  filled  as  they  were  by  a  common  happiness- 
Captain  Whiffler  now  came  on  board.  He  had  hitherto 
remained  in  the  boat  in  order  that  the  family  meetings 
should  be  got  over  before  he  showed  himself 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Master  Leigh,"  he  said,  shaking 
hands  as  he  spoke,  "though  I  certainly  should  not  have 
known  you  again.  You  ought  no  longer  to  be  called  Master 
Leigh,  for  you  are  a  grown  man.  We  have  talked  of  you 
often  and  often,  and  it  was  not  until  Captain  Martin  arrived, 
a  week  ago,  that  we  had  any  idea  of  what  had  become  of 
you.  Everyone  will  be  glad  to  know  that  you  are  safely 
back ;  and  you  too,  Mrs.  Martin.  Everyone  has  missed 
Miss  Patsey,  as  they  still  call  you  when  they  speak  of  you." 

Jean  had  been  shaking  hands  with  Lefaux  and  the 
crew  and  now  returned.  "  I  don't  know  how  we  stand 
with  this  craft,  captain.  She  has  come  into  port  of  her 
own  free-will  and  not  as  a  prize.  I  claim  that  she  is  the 
property  of  a  French  Royalist,  now  an  emigre ;  and  as 
England,  so  far  from  being  at  war  with  French  Royalists, 
is  their  ally,  I  intend  to  transfer  her  to  my  wife,  and  to 
have  her  registered  as  an  English  ship." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  that  you  will  have  to  settle  that  with 


336  NO    SURRENDER 

the  authorities,  Captain  Martin  ;  but  I  should  think  that 
you  are  right,  for  other  French  craft  have  come  across 
with  emigres,  and  have  always  been  allowed  to  return.  Is 
there  any  cargo  on  board  ?  " 

"None,"  Leigh  said.  "She  left  Bordeaux  the  moment 
she  discharged  the  cargo  she  brought  there." 

As  they  dropped  anchor  off  the  island  another  boat  came 
alongside,  with  Mr.  Stansfield  and  his  two  sons,  and  there 
was  again  a  scene  of  tender  greeting  between  them,  her, 
and  Leigh. 

"  Where  is  Polly  ?  "  Patsey  asked. 

"  She  was  married  two  years  ago,"  her  father  said,  "  to 
Harry  King,  the  son  of  the  banker,  you  know.  Of  course 
she  lives  in  Poole  now.     And  so  this  is  your  little  boy?" 

"Yes,  but  he  cannot  understand  you  at  present.  We 
have  always  talked  French  with  him  since  the  troubles 
began,  as,  had  he  spoken  a  word  or  two  of  English,  it  might 
have  been  fatal  to  him  and  to  us ;  but  he  will  soon  pick  it 
up  now  he  is  among  yon  all." 

It  was  a  happy  party  indeed  that  evening  at  Nether- 
stock,  where  Mr.  Stansfield  had  insisted  that  Monsieur  and 
Madame  Flambard  should  stay  till  they  could  find  a  lodging 
to  suit  them  in  Poole.  Madame  Martin  and  her  daughter 
Louise  arrived  a  few  minutes  after  the  others  had  reached 
the  house,  as  Jean  had  sent  off  a  boy  to  tell  them  as  soon 
as  he  made  out  the  lugger,  and  a  little  later  Patsey's  sister 
Polly  came  over  from  Poole. 

At  first  innumerable  questions  were  asked  on  each  side, 
and  then  Leigh  related  all  that  had  happened  since  they 
left  Le  Mans.  Monsieur  Flambard  interrupted  when  it 
came  to  the  point  where  Leigh  had  rescued  him  and  his 
wife,  and  gave  full  particulars  of  it  to  Jean,  who  translated 
it  to  the  others.    Then  it  came  to  Jean's  turn. 


HOME  337 

**  I  was  with  Rochejaquelein,"  he  said.  **  We  had  made 
our  last  charge  down  on  the  head  of  the  enemy's  column. 
It  was  hot  work.  Desailles  was  shot  through  the  head 
close  by  my  side,  and  as  we  rode  off  I  felt  my  horse 
stumble,  and  knew  that  it  was  hit.  Almost  at  the  same 
moment  my  sword  fell  from  my  hand,  my  right  arm  being 
broken  by  a  musket  ball.  La  Rochejaquelein  had  given 
orders  that  this  charge  was  to  be  the  last.  He  knew  that 
by  this  time  the  main  part  of  the  army  would  have  left  the 
town.  My  horse  lagged  behind  the  others,  and  I  was  just 
turning  it  to  ride  to  our  meeting-place  when  it  fell  under 
me.  I  decided  at  once  not  to  attempt  to  come  to  the 
rendezvous.  In  the  first  place  I  felt  sure  that  you  had 
already  followed  out  my  instructions,  and  in  the  next  place 
had  I  joined  you  I  should  have  ruined  your  chance  of 
escape.  Being  dismounted,  I  should  have  hampered  your 
flight,  and  even  had  we  escaped  pursuit,  your  having  a 
man  with  a  broken  arm  with  you  would  everywhere  have 
roused  suspicion.  I  therefore  determined  to  go  as  far  as  I 
could,  and  then  hide  in  a  wood  and  shift  for  myself. 

"  I  got  a  peasant  who  was  running  past  me  to  stop  for 
a  moment  and  bind  my  arm  tightly  with  my  sash.  It 
was  broken  high  up.  I  walked  for  two  or  three  hours  in 
the  direction  opposite  to  that  in  which  the  army  had  re- 
treated. The  peasant  who  had  bound  my  arm  up  accom- 
panied me.  I  found  that  he  came  from  a  farm  near  us ; 
he  had  recognized  me  at  once,  but  I  had  not  noticed  who 
it  was.  I  told  him  to  try  and  save  himself,  but  he  would 
not  hear  of  it.  *  Monsieur  will  require  my  aid,"  he  said, 
*  and  it  is  my  duty  to  render  it.  Besides,  I  am  as  likely  to 
escape  one  way  as  the  other.  Monsieur  knows  more  about 
the  roads  than  I  do,  and  will  be  able  to  direct  me.'  Of 
course,  I  assented,  for  I  was  glad  indeed  to  have  him  with 


838  NO   SURRENDER 

me.  As  soon  as  we  hid  up  in  a  wood  he  cut  two  strips  of 
bark  off  the  trunk  of  a  young  tree,  cut  off  the  sleeve  of  ray 
coat  and  shirt,  put  the  arm  straight,  and  with  a  strip  torn 
off  my  sash  first  bandaged  it,  and  then  applied  the  two  pieces 
of  bark  as  splints,  and  finally  bound  another  bandage  round 
them. 

"  He  had  carried  with  him  the  blanket  and  valises  he 
had  taken  off  the  saddle.  The  latter  contained  a  bottle 
of  wine  and  some  food,  and  on  this  we  lived  for  three 
days ;  then  I  determined  upon  starting.  He  went  out  in 
the  evening  and  managed  to  buy  at  a  cottage  two  loaves 
of  bread  and  a  couple  of  bottles  of  wine.  We  divided 
these.  Then  I  put  on  my  disguise,  and  we  started  in 
different  directions,  he  making  south  for  the  river,  which  I 
trust  the  good  fellow  managed  to  reach  and  cross  safely, 
while  I  struck  north.  My  wine  and  bread  lasted  me  for 
four  days,  by  which  time  I  had  arrived  at  Louviers  on  the 
Seine.  I  was  now  a  hundred  miles  from  Le  Mans,  and 
altogether  beyond  the  line  of  action.  I  felt  comparatively 
safe.  My  arm  was  so  painful  however  that  I  felt  that  at 
whatever  risk  I  must  see  a  surgeon.  I  went  first  to  an 
inn,  where  my  appearance  as  a  stranger  and  without  means 
of  conveyance  excited  the  surprise  of  the  landlord. 

"*You  are  hurt,  monsieur,'  he  said. 

" '  Yes ;  my  horse  fell  under  me  and  threw  me  heavily, 
and  broke  my  arm.  Before  I  could  recover  myself  it  had 
run  away.  Fortunately  a  peasant  who  was  going  by  ban- 
daged my  arm  up,  and  I  was  able  to  walk  on  here.  Who  is 
the  best  surgeon  in  the  place  ? ' 

"  He  mentioned  the  name  of  the  doctor,  and  said  that  he 
had  the  reputation  of  being  very  skilful  and  kind.  He 
offered  to  send  for  him,  but  being  close  by,  I  said  that  I 
would  rather  go  to  him.    The  man's  face  gave  me  confi- 


HOME  339 

dence  as  soon  as  I  entered.  I  knew  that  it  would  be  of  no 
use  to  tell  him  the  story  of  a  fall,  and  I  said  at  once,  *  Mon- 
sieur, I  believe  doctors  are  like  confessors,  and  that  they  keep 
the  secrets  of  their  patients/ 

"  He  smiled.     '  Monsieur  has  a  secret,  then  ?  ' 

"  *  I  have,'  I  said.  *  I  have  had  my  arm  broken  by  a 
musket-ball  —  it  does  not  matter  how  or  when,  does 
it?' 

" '  In  no  way/  he  said ;  '  my  business  is  simply  to  do  what 
I  can  for  you.* 

"  '  It  is  seven  days  old,'  I  said,  *  and  is  horribly  painful 
and  inflamed.' 

"  He  examined  the  wound.  *  The  bone  is  badly  broken,' 
he  said.  '  It  is  well  for  you  that  it  has  been  bound  up 
with  some  skill,  and  that  these  rough  splints  have  kept  it 
in  its  place.  Of  course,  what  you  require  is  rest  and  quiet. 
Without  cutting  down  to  the  bone  I  cannot  tell  how  badly 
it  is  splintered,  and  in  the  state  of  inflammation  that  it  is  now 
in  I  could  not  venture  upon  that.  I  can  only  rebandage 
it  again,  and  give  you  a  lotion  to  pour  over  it  from  time 
to  time.  Tell  me  frankly  what  you  are ;  you  can  trust 
me.' 

" '  I  am  a  sailor,'  I  said,  *  captain  of  my  own  craft.  I  am 
also  a  Vendean,  and  as  the  cause  is  now  lost,  I  am  making 
my  way  down  to  the  sea.  I  hope  in  some  way  or  other  to 
make  my  escape  to  England,  where  I  have  friends,  my  wife 
being  an  Englishwoman.  What  I  require  more  than  any- 
thing is  a  suit  of  sailor's  clothes.' 

** '  I  will  do  what  I  can  to  help  you,  my  friend.  I  am 
not  one  of  those  who  think  that  France  can  be  regenerated 
by  the  slaughter  of  the  whole  of  the  best  of  her  people, 
and  by  all  power  being  given  to  the  worst.  Let  me  see ; 
I  cannot  go  and  buy  sailor's  clothes  myself,  but  my  old  ser- 


340  NO   SURRENDER 

vant  can  be  trusted  absolutely.  There  is  a  shop  down  by 
the  river  where  such  things  are  sold.  I  will  get  her  to  go 
down  there  and  say  that  she  has  a  nephew  just  arrived 
from  sea,  and  that  she  wants  to  give  him  a  new  rig-out,  but 
as  he  has  hurt  himself,  and  cannot  come,  she  must  choose  it. 
What  is  your  height  ?  ' 

"^  About  five  foot  ten,'  I  said. 

"  *  And  how  broad  round  the  shoulders  ?  * 

" '  Forty-three  inches.  I  have  plenty  of  money  to  pay 
for  all  that  is  necessary  and  more/  and  I  took  out  my  roll  of 
assignats. 

" '  Since  you  are  well  provided,'  he  said,  *  I  will  take 
some.  The  people  are  very  poor,  and  we  all  suffer  to- 
gether. They  pay  me  when  they  can,  and  so  that  I  can 
make  ends  meet  I  am  well  content.' 

"In  an  hour  the  woman  returned  with  a  suit  of 
rough  sailor's  clothes,  and  you  may  imagine  how  glad 
I  was  to  put  them  on,  the  doctor  helping  me  on  with  the 
jacket. 

"  *  Now,'  he  said  when  I  had  dressed  and  eaten  some 
food  the  old  servant  had  set  before  me,  '  it  happens  that  at 
daybreak  to-morrow  one  of  my  patients,  the  master  of  a 
river  boat,  is  starting  on  the  turn  of  tide  for  Honfleur.  I 
will  first  go  round  to  the  auberge  and  tell  the  landlord  that 
your  arm  is  badly  broken,  and  that  I  shall  keep  you  here 
for  the  night,  as  you  will  require  attention  ;  then  I  will  go 
to  the  captain  and  arrange  for  your  passage.  When  I  tell 
him  that  you  are  a  patient  of  mine,  and  that  I  should  be 
obliged  if  he  would  find  you  some  quiet  lodging  at  Hon- 
fleur, where  you  can  remain  till  your  arm  is  better  and  you 
are  fit  to  be  about  again,  I  have  no  doubt  he  will  manage  it. 
He  is  a  good  fellow,  and  I  shall  let  him  understand  that  you 
don't  want  inquiries  made  about  you.     Now,  you  had  better 


HOME  841 

lie  down  on  a  bed  upstairs  and  try  to  sleep.  I  will  call  you 
in  time  to  go  down  to  the  boat.* 

" '  There  is  no  fear  of  my  getting  you  into  trouble  ? '  I 
asked.  *  I  would  rather  go  on  to  Honfleur  by  road  at  once, 
than  do  so.' 

"  '  There  is  no  fear  of  that ;  the  maire  is  a  friend  and 
patient  of  mine.  And  if,  as  may  be  the  case,  the  landlord 
mentions  the  arrival  of  a  stranger,  and  his  coming  to  me,  I 
shall  simply  tell  the  maire  that  your  arm  being  badly  broken, 
I  kept  you  for  the  night,  and  then  sent  you  on  by  boat ;  and 
that  as  for  papers,  not  being  a  gendarme,  I  never  thought  of 
asking  you  for  them.' 

"The  next  morning  he  dressed  my  arm  again,  and  then 
himself  took  me  down  to  the  boat  and  handed  me  over  to  its 
skipper.  He  absolutely  refused  any  payment  for  his  services, 
but  I  insisted  on  his  receiving  a  couple  of  hundred  francs  in 
assignats  for  the  use  of  his  poorer  patients. 

*'The  skipper  carried  out  his  instructions  to  the  letter. 
We  got  to  Honfleur  after  dark  on  the  day  after  starting, 
and  he  went  with  me  to  the  cottage  of  a  widow  of  his 
acquaintance. 

"  He  said  to  her,  '  Mother,  I  want  you  to  take  care  of  this 
young  sailor;  he  has  broken  his  arm  and  wants  nursing. 
He  does  not  want  his  being  here  to  be  known,  because  he 
is  afraid  he  might  be  packed  off  in  one  of  the  ships  of 
war  as  soon  as  he  recovers.  I  suppose  you  can  manage 
that?* 

"'Oh,  yes,'  she  said;  *I  have  very  few  visitors,  and  no 
one  would  guess  that  I  have  anyone  upstairs.' 

"  '  He  has  plenty  of  money  to  pay  your  charges.  Now  I 
will  leave  him  with  you,  and  will  look  in  to-morrow  to  see 
how  he  is  getting  on.' 

"  I  stayed  there  a  fortnight,  by  which  time  the  inflamma- 


342  NO   SURRENDER 

tion  had  pretty  well  subsided.  No  one  could  be  kinder  than 
the  old  woman  was.  She  used  to  bathe  my  arm  by  the  hour, 
and  she  fed  me  up  with  broth.  At  the  end  of  that  time  I 
felt  ready  for  work,  though  my  arm  was  of  course  useless. 
So,  having  paid  my  account,  I  went  down  boldly  to  the  river 
and  crossed  to  Harfleur,  and  then  went  on  to  Havre.  I 
stayed  there  for  a  couple  of  days  at  a  sailors'  cabaret,  where 
they  supposed  that  I  belonged  to  a  vessel  in  port,  and  no 
questions  were  asked. 

"  Finding  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  pass  the  gun-boat 
lying  there,  I  walked  up  to  Fecamp,  picked  out  a  likely- 
looking  boat  afloat  by  the  quay,  and  at  night  got  on  board, 
rowed  quietly  out,  and  then  managed  to  get  the  sail  hoisted. 
The  wind  was  off-shore,  and  by  the  morning  I  was  out  of 
sight  of  the  French  coast.  I  laid  my  course  for  Portsmouth, 
and  landed  there  that  evening.  Being  fortunately  able  to 
speak  English,  I  had  only  to  leave  the  boat  tied  up  to  the 
quay  and  go  up  to  a  small  inn  close  by.  I  slept  there, 
crossed  to  Gosport,  and  walked  to  Southampton  the  next 
morning,  and  got  into  Poole  on  the  following  day,  and  soon 
found  where  my  mother  and  sister  were  staying.  So  you 
see  I  had  altogether  very  little  adventure  on  my  way  from 
Le  Mans.  Since  then  I  have  spent  most  of  my  time  up 
here  sweeping  the  water  with  your  father's  glass.  I  had 
been  watching  the  Henriette  for  hours  before  she  came  near 
enough  for  me  to  be  sure  that  it  was  she,  though,  of  course, 
I  could  see  that  she  was  a  French-rigged  boat. 

"  As  soon  as  I  made  her  out  I  sent  off  word  to  my  mother 
and  ran  down  to  the  coast-guard  station.  I  felt  sure  that 
you  were  on  board,  for  otherwise  the  lugger  would  not  have 
come  over  here.  Still,  of  course,  I  could  not  be  absolutely 
certain  until  I  saw  that  the  figure  I  could  make  out  standing 
on  the  rail  was  that  of  a  woman." 


HOME  843 

It  was  some  little  time  before  their  plans  were  finally 
decided  upon.  It  was  evident  that  at  present  no  trade  could 
be  done  in  French  wines.  However,  as  Jean,  his  mother, 
and  his  friend  Flambard  had  sufficient  capital  to  enable 
them  to  live  without  trade  for  some  time,  they  agreed  that 
they  should  establish  themselves  at  once  in  London  as  wine 
merchants.  Flambard  had  correspondents  in  Spain  and 
Portugal,  from  whom  he  could  obtain  wine  of  these  coun- 
tries, and  they  agreed  that  Poole  did  not  offer  opportunities 
for  carrying  on  any  considerable  trade.  Both  insisted  that 
Leigh  should  become  a  member  of  the  firm,  and  a  month 
after  their  arrival  at  Poole  the  party  moved  up  to  London. 
Madame  Martin,  her  daughter,  Jean,  and  his  wife  took  a 
house  between  them  at  Hackney,  and  Monsieur  Flambard 
and  his  wife  established  themselves  in  another  a  few  hundred 
yards  away. 

From  time  to  time  came  scraps  of  news  from  across  the 
Channel.  La  Rochejaquelein  and  Stofflet,  after  being 
separated  from  their  followers  when  crossing  the  Loire,  had 
gathered  a  small  band  together,  and  gained  some  successes 
over  parties  of  the  enemy.  Two  grenadiers,  after  one  of 
these  skirmishes,  were  on  the  point  of  being  shot  by  the 
peasants  when  Henri  came  up  to  save  their  lives.  One  of 
the  prisoners,  however,  recognizing  the  gallant  leader  of  the 
Venddans,  raised  his  musket  and  shot  him  dead.  It  was 
not  for  two  years  after  this  that  the  struggle  was  finally 
brought  to  a  conclusion,  for  the  heroic  people  of  La 
Vendee  continued  to  resist  all  the  efforts  of  their  ene- 
mies until  Stofflet  and  Charette  were  captured  and  exe- 
cuted, the  one  in  February,  1796,  the  other  in  the 
following  month.  The  moderation  and  judgment  of  Gen- 
eral Hoche  finally  brought  about  the  end  of  a  war  which 
stands  unexampled  in  history  for  the  noble  resistance  of- 


344  NO   SURRENDER 

fered  by  a  small  body  of  peasants  to  the  power  of  a  great 
country. 

As  soon  as  Monsieur  Flambard  heard  from  his  corre- 
spondents abroad  that  a  consignment  of  wine  was  on  its 
way  they  took  an  office,  for  it  had  already  been  agreed  that, 
having  no  connection  for  sales  to  private  customers,  they 
would  work  only  as  wholesale  merchants,  dealing  with  the 
trade  and  with  large  hotels  and  other  establishments,  con- 
tenting themselves  with  the  smallest  possible  rate  of  profit 
until  they  made  a  connection,  and  at  the  end  of  two  or 
three  years  they  were  doing  a  considerable  business.  The 
Henriette  sailed  for  France,  shortly  after  their  arrival  in 
Poole,  as  the  crew  preferred  returning  home.  Lefaux  was 
to  trade  as  before,  and,  being  so  well  known  at  all  the 
western  ports,  was  certain  of  obtaining  freights.  He  was 
to  pay  wages  and  all  other  expenses,  and  to  transmit  the 
balance  as  opportunity  occurred.  Three  years  later,  when 
the  internal  affairs  of  the  country  had  calmed  down,  Jean 
m*  "d  to  get  a  letter  sent  to  the  priest  of  their  village, 
askinj,  iiim  to  inquire  about  Marthe,  and  after  a  considerable 
time  an  answer  was  received,  saying  that  she  and  Frangois 
had  reached  home  in  safety,  had  been  married  shortly  after 
their  return,  and  were  doing  well,  having,  with  their  joint 
savings,  purchased  at  a  very  low  price  one  of  Jean's  confis- 
cated farms. 

Ten  years  later  the  firm  of  Flambard,  Martin,  &  Stans- 
field  were  doing  a  large  business,  and  when  the  war  came 
to  a  termination,  and  trade  with  Bordeaux,  Charente,  and 
Nantes  was  renewed,  M.  Flambard  returned  to  Bordeaux, 
and  having  a  large  connection  there,  the  firm  soon  became 
known  as  the  largest  importers  of  foreign  wines  in  London. 
Madame  Martin  had  long  before  that  died.  Patsey  was  the 
mother  of  three  boys  and  two  girls,  and  Leigh  had  a  separate 


HOME  845 

establishment  of  his  own,  and  had  been  for  fifteen  years  a 
married  man.  Mr.  Stansfield  was  still  alive,  and  things  went 
on  at  Netherstock  in  very  much  the  same  fashion  as  before 
Patsey  left  home.  Jacques  Martin  had  been  one  of  the 
many  who  were  guillotined  when  the  terror  came  to  an  end 
after  the  death  of  Robespierre. 


o> 


Vvi- 


I! -v." 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


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